


NejiTen Month 2020

by justanotherfanaccount



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, One Shot Collection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:21:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 23,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25640500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanotherfanaccount/pseuds/justanotherfanaccount
Summary: A collection of one shots and short stories for my favourite couple to celebrate NejiTen month in 2020. I'll be posting almost every day and stories will be set both in the Ninja world as well as in alternate universes.
Relationships: Hyuuga Neji/Tenten
Comments: 11
Kudos: 84





	1. Day 1 - Your Favourite Trope

"You have _got_ to be kidding me."

Tenten hadn't thought her day could get any worse, and yet there she stood, her day considerably worse than a few short moments ago.

What had started out as a normal routine mission had quickly turned into one of the worst missions of her life. And now… now _this?_ Did they expect her to sit quietly and accept it?

Tenten did her best to reign in her anger, but her voice still sounded short and clipped, even to her own ears. "So, you're telling me that you don't have _any_ other rooms available? None at all?" Hell, she would take a dingy springy mattress in a room the size of a closet at this point. Anything but…

"I'm very sorry," the clerk replied, sounding very _un_ apologetic. "But we are filled to capacity. You were lucky to even find these two rooms available."

Tenten turned her glare to her sensei who had the presence about himself to look sheepish. She had told him to book accommodations earlier, but he had been adamant they wouldn't need them.

"Fine," she said finally, turning back to the lady behind the counter. "Is there any other hotel in this town that might have a room for me?"

"I'm afraid all the hotels and motels are full due to the festival this week."

Great. Just _great._ She turned again to her teammates, Gai and Lee looking uncomfortable with her display of anger—they were used to her getting annoyed with them, but she didn't often get angry. Neji, on the other hand, was ignoring her temper tantrum altogether, his gaze fixed on the furnishings of the lobby around them. She suspected that it was taking every ounce of self-control he had to keep his gaze away, and she swore she saw the hint of a smirk on his infuriatingly perfect lips.

"Can I at least swap rooms with one of you?" she asked the two bushy-browed men before her. She would take having to sleep in the same room as Lee or Gai over having to share a space with Neji. Anyone but him.

Gai shuffled uncomfortably from foot to foot, his gaze darting away from her without giving an answer. Lee sent her an apologetic smile. "Sorry Tenten," he said, "but Gai sensei promised to spend the evening teaching me the fundamentals to a new taijutsu attack."

He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a whisper while his eyes strayed to Neji for a moment before finding hers again. "Also, Neji would not like if you shared a room with one of us."

Tenten didn't care one iota what Neji liked, not at the moment. She was mad at him and she wanted to remain that way—preferably as far away from him as she could get.

Before she could form a retort, Gai called Lee and the two of them made their way to what would be their room for the night. Tenten heaved a sigh, knowing she wouldn't be able to get out of this, and resigned herself to the fact that she would just have to keep her wall of anger up. She would not let him break it.

"Are you ready, Tenten?" Neji asked, having made his way to her when she wasn't paying attention. He watched her with his shrewd lavender gaze, and Tenten felt the urge to smack the smug look off his face.

She didn't answer quickly enough for his liking, and Neji heaved a long-suffering sigh before grabbing her hand and starting towards the stairs that would take them to their temporary room. She glared at the back of his head, but his grip held when she tried to pull away from him.

"I didn't give you permission to hold my hand, Neji. Let go." She made sure her voice was stern, but still he didn't even so much as loosen his hold on her. She gritted her teeth. He was insufferable.

Neji unlocked the door to their room and pushed it open, tugging her in after him as he walked through the threshold. Tenten wanted to bolt out the door, take her chances elsewhere—anywhere but here—but Neji was already closing the door behind them. Only after the door was shut and locked—seriously, did he have to lock it too?—did he let go of her hand.

It was late, their mission having had taken a lot longer than expected, and Tenten was exhausted. All she wanted to do was shower and crawl into bed, but the way Neji was looking at her made her realize he had other plans in mind. Plans she would not let herself get dragged into.

Before he could so much as step closer to her, Tenten held out a hand in warning, glaring at him. "Since we have no choice but to share this space together, we need to set some ground rules." Her glare intensified when he opened his mouth to interrupt, and he promptly shut it again, arms crossing his chest stubbornly and his lips flattening into a frown. "First," she continued, "no touching."

This made his lips turn upwards into a smirk, and Tenten had to ignore the way it set her heart racing. "Are you afraid you will not be able to resist me if I touch you?"

"No." _Yes._ He wasn't fooled for a second, his smirk widening significantly at her unconvincing reply. "Second," she continued, "no talking. I'm mad at you and I don't want to hear whatever excuses you have come up with."

"How are we to clear up this misunderstanding if I am not allowed to speak?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Misunderstanding?" If Tenten weren't so angry, she would have laughed. "Did I just happen to _misunderstand_ seeing that woman all over you, and you allowing her attentions? I didn't realize we were allowed to flirt with other people in this relationship. Maybe I should go down to the bar and find someone to flirt with as well."

Neji's once amused face instantly turned hard and he glared at her, a growl rumbling in his throat at her words.

"No." Tenten held up her hand to stop him. "You do _not_ get to be jealous right now, Neji." No way in hell was she going to pander to his manly pride. "If you can flirt with other women then I have every right to do the same."

Tenten could see him visibly trying to calm himself; his fists clenched and unclenched at his side and he inhaled deep breaths through his nose. Finally, he began to relax. "I am sorry that I have upset you, Tenten," he said, his voice low. "But I promise that I was not flirting with that woman. I barely even noticed she was there."

"Right," Tenten scoffed, "because you couldn't see the way she was flaunting her boobs in your face, or feel her hands touching you?" It made her sick to even recall the scene, and Tenten could feel her anger rising again.

"We were in the middle of a mission and I was collecting information on the enemy. I was focused on my job. If I had made a scene, I could have jeopardised my position."

It made sense. Of course it did. Tenten knew Neji had gone in to spy on their target, having to use his byakugan to spy on where their target was having a secret meeting behind closed doors. They needed the intelligence as part of their mission—one that ended up going pear shaped, though they had succeeded in the end.

Neji took advantage of her silence and stepped towards her, reaching out to take hold of her hands. "Do you truly believe I would be attracted to another woman, Tenten?"

Tenten's shoulders slumped and she felt water pool in her eyes, though she refused to let them fall. "No, of course not," she replied softly. "But she was so beautiful and voluptuous and I'm, well… not. Sometimes I wonder what you see in me at all."

She wasn't planning on getting all deep and emotional with her boyfriend, but the insecurity had been weighing on her mind for some time now, and she couldn't keep it to herself anymore.

Neji squeezed her hands, his eyes soft and no trace of amusement on his face as he searched her gaze. "Do you wish to know what I thought of that woman? I noticed a pesky fly buzzing around my head, nothing more. I would not be able to recall what she looked like even if I tried."

He reached up with one hand to caress her cheek, chasing away a tear that had broken free. "Do you wish to know what I think of when I see you?"

"What?" Tenten asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"I see the beautiful, fierce, kind woman who I fell in love with." He cupped her face in both hands, making sure she could not look away from him. "You are perfect for me, Tenten. I will only ever want you by my side."

Tenten opened her mouth to say something—what exactly, she wasn't sure, having just had the breath stolen from her by his words—but before she got the chance, he covered her lips with his. He kissed her passionately, one hand sliding around her neck and into her hair while the other circled her waist to pull her closer.

He pulled away far too soon for Tenten's liking and rested his forehead against hers. "Am I forgiven?" he asked, using his arm to cinch her closer still.

Tenten knew she couldn't stay mad at him, not after what he had just told her. She smiled. "You're forgiven."

"Good," he said, eyes shining with heat. "Because it would be a shame to waste the evening being angry when we could be doing other, more enjoyable things together."

Neji walked her backwards until her knees hit the bed and she toppled onto it. She pulled him down with her, a mischievous smile on her lips. "We better not waste anymore time then, should we?"

"Definitely not," Neji replied before devouring her mouth once more.


	2. Day 2 - Spring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Days 2-8 of Nejiten month have the category of "The Past", and I will be writing each prompt as an ongoing series, so I hope you look forward to them.

The sounds of baby animals filled the air in amongst the echoes of grunts and curses from the training grounds. Small creatures ran from the sound of fighting, trying to escape the deadly weapons that found their way into the foliage. Birds clucked in agitation, the feeding of their young interrupted by the battle going on around them.

Neji was used to being the best of the best, but there was one opponent he always enjoyed training with to improve his already impressive skills. Tenten's mastery of weapons was the perfect complement for him, especially while he was trying to master a new technique. Neji's Rotation was a thing of beauty, as Tenten once stated, but it was still not perfected to a point he was happy with. He wasn't satisfied with his almost 360-degree vision, having once been struck in that small opening where his blind spot was. So, in order to make his defence impenetrable, Neji had decided to train until he had learned and mastered this new move.

"I still don't see how else you can improve your rotation, Neji," Tenten called from a distance, where she had flopped onto the ground, panting. They had been training for a good few hours without rest, and even Neji was starting to feel tired. Still, he knew he was close, and he didn't want to go home until it was perfect.

"We can rest a while if you are too tired to continue," he replied after he had made his way closer to her. He sat next to her, so that their knees and shoulders were touching, and Tenten shot him a grateful smile before resting her head against his shoulder. He didn't usually show such outward intimacy with her in public, but they were currently alone in the field and he wasn't too proud to admit he wanted to feel her close to him.

"I would love a break, thank you."

They sat in silence for a while, content with listening to the wildlife chattering around them. Spring was upon them, and with it, new life. He didn't often stop to watch the young creatures as they learned about their new world, but Tenten was teaching him how to stop and enjoy the little things in life. Neji especially enjoyed seeing fledgling birds leave their nest for the first time, finding their wings with clumsy attempts, their parents often watching from a short distance. He had always had a soft spot for birds, no matter the species, and he normally found himself smiling softly when he witnessed a fledgling's first successful flight.

The sound of Lee's over-enthusiastic voice was heard before he and Gai appeared, and Neji was too slow to shift away from Tenten. Gai saw how close they were sitting, and his eyes lit up with glee as a huge grin split his face.

"Spring is here, Lee!" he cried. "The power of youth is a beautiful thing!"

"Yes, Gai sensei!" Lee ran up to his two teammates, unconcealed joy on his face. "I am so happy for you both, my beloved friends! Enjoy your springtime of youth!"

Tenten laughed awkwardly. Neji himself felt uncomfortable, the two of them only having recently started to get closer acquainted. They were still finding their feet as a couple instead of mere teammates, and they weren't yet used to Gai and Lee's enthusiasm about their newfound love.

Not that Neji could fault them. Even he had to admit that it was nice to be able to spend time with Tenten in a capacity closer than comrades. He may not be completely used to it yet, but the feeling of spring—that light, airy joy—filled even him when he was with her. Of course, he kept a tight leash on his feelings, but that didn't mean he did not have them.

"We were just taking a break before continuing training," Tenten told the two newcomers, standing up when Neji did. "Neji wants to perfect his rotation before the end of the day."

"Excellent work ethic, Neji!" Gai bellowed.

"We were about to have lunch and we wanted to see if you would like to join us?" Lee told them, looking from Neji to Tenten expectantly.

Neji turned to Tenten, silently asking her opinion. If she would rather they eat alone, he would be more than happy to oblige. But she nodded her assent, and Neji turned back to his teammates to agree.

The four comrades walked away from the training grounds, the two bushy browed companions chattering happily while Neji and Tenten walked silently behind them. Neji didn't reach out to hold her hand, not with people around, but he rested his hand lightly on the small of her back for a moment, and she turned to smile at him.

Neji had to admit that Spring was a beautiful time of year, made even more beautiful with the woman by his side.


	3. Day 4 - Retrograde

Tenten knew she could be hot-headed, but she prided herself on keeping calm in even the most trying of times. However, she was finding it increasingly difficult to stay calm around her boyfriend the longer time passed them by.

Of course, Tenten had known from the start what she was getting into by dating a Hyuga— _the_ Hyuga prodigy, to be exact—but he had changed so much from that arrogant Genin that she thought she could handle it.

She was beginning to wonder if she had made a mistake.

All Tenten wanted was a little bit of affection in their relationship. She knew Neji kept a tight leash on his emotions and rarely shared what he was feeling with others—even his closest friends—but she had thought that perhaps now, as her freaking boyfriend, he would put in a little more effort. Turns out, she had been wrong.

More and more, Tenten began to wonder what exactly they were doing in this relationship. Did he even care about her? Or was he just curious about dating and she was the safest option? That thought hurt, because Tenten knew that she had been in love with him since they were Genin. Yes, even when he was a complete jerk, Tenten had cared for him, and then when he started to change—started to slowly become a better person—that affection she held for him continued to grow.

But how were they supposed to continue a relationship when he barely emoted? It wasn't as though Tenten wanted him to do a complete 180 and start shouting his affection for her from the hilltops. But even the little things—holding hands, cheek kisses, hugs—were far and few between. And never out in public.

They had been dating for almost a year now, and yes, they had become intimate in recent months, but even then, she felt as though something was missing. Like he was holding back. And that continued to make her doubt his feelings for her.

It had taken her a long time—and many crying sessions alone in her room—but finally Tenten knew what she had to do. It wasn't healthy for her to continue dating him when all she felt was stress and anxiety. That wasn't a healthy relationship.

She waited until training had ended for the day, letting Gai and Lee go ahead while she hung behind with Neji. She took deep breaths to calm her erratic heart and willed herself to stay strong during their conversation. She would _not_ cry.

"Is everything all right, Tenten?" Neji asked, seeing the distress on her face.

Right, it was now or never.

Tenten made herself look him in the eye, proud of herself for keeping her voice level as she told him, "We need to talk."

Neji knew right away that something was amiss, his eyes widening a fraction at her words, but he nodded his head and waited for her to continue.

"You know I love you, Neji. I don't think that will ever change. But I can't do this anymore." She inhaled a shaky breath. "I want to break up."

"What?" Neji's usual cool façade dropped as he stared at her, mouth agape. "I do not understand, Tenten. Why so suddenly?"

Tenten wanted to laugh at his question. Really, did he not see how unhappy she had become in their relationship? "It's not sudden, Neji. This is something I've been thinking about for a long time now." She hated seeing the hurt on his face—hated being the one who _put_ that hurt on his face—but she had known this would be difficult for them both.

"I'm not happy, Neji," she continued, forcing herself to keep eye contact. "I don't feel like your girlfriend anymore—I don't think I ever did, if I'm honest."

"What am I doing wrong?"

Tenten shook her head sadly. "I don't really think it's something you're doing wrong. It's your personality, so I shouldn't have been surprised to begin with. Neji, a girl needs to know that they're loved when they're in a relationship. We barely do anything outside of training. We don't hold hands, go on dates, steal kisses while no one's watching. You're barely affectionate with me, and it makes me wonder what where even doing. What _I'm_ even doing."

Neji was frowning at her, as though he couldn't quite wrap his head around what she was saying. "Is that what you want? For me to be more affectionate? Because I can do that, Tenten."

"No. I don't want you to force yourself to change. I know those things make you feel uncomfortable and I don't want you to feel forced into showing me you care. You should be doing it because you want to. Do you know you've never once even told me that you love me?" Try as she might to keep it together, her voice betrayed her by cracking on the last word.

Neji's eyebrows reached his hairline and he took a step towards her. "Tenten, I lo—"

Tenten's glare cut off the rest of his sentence, and he fell back into silence again. "I didn't tell you that for you to say it now, you idiot. Why would I want to hear that now of all times?" She felt a tear trickle down her cheek and she scrubbed it away angrily. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing you can say that will change my mind. I'm breaking up with you, Neji."

With that, she turned and walked away, leaving him to stare at her retreating form. She scrubbed at her eyes again, the tears falling faster and harder the further she walked. She could feel her heart splintering into pieces inside her chest, the pain threatening to overwhelm her and drop her to her knees. Instead, she managed to make her way back home without completely losing it before her legs turned to jelly and she collapsed just inside the entrance.

She stayed there, heartbroken and sobbing for a long time, wondering how she could see him again, let alone remain teammates after she had just ripped her heart out of her chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh, what's going to happen next? I've never written a Nejiten story where they break up, so this has been interesting for me, even though the stories are only quite short. 
> 
> As always, hope you enjoyed!


	4. Day 5 - Desiderium

Neji had never felt such despair in his seventeen years of living. Not even his feelings for his clan could compare to this—and he had many, varying feelings for the Hyuga clan.

No, this was something he was unfamiliar with, and Neji didn't know what he was supposed to do.

It had been a month since Tenten had broken up with him—something that he hadn't foreseen, and something he still struggled to believe even happened. She refused to listen to him when he tried to apologize, to make it right. She was adamant that this was permanent. That she was done with him.

No, Neji wouldn't accept that. Not without a fight, anyway. And Neji was more than prepared to fight for Tenten. But even still, nothing he did proved effective, and Neji began to feel despondent after so many failures.

They still trained together, of course. They had to, being teammates and all. But it was strained. Which wasn't ideal, considering they were partners—her being his go-to training partner as her skills were the best match for honing his own.

Even Gai and Lee weren't sure what to do with them. They had known straight away that something had happened, and when they found out the pair had broken up, they had looked just as distraught as he felt.

Neji knew he wasn't the most affectionate of people to be around. He _had_ tried to let his guard down with Tenten, but maybe that hadn't been enough. No, not maybe. She had broken up with him because she hadn't felt loved in their relationship.

It was hard for him to show that he cared. Neji had never realized he had to show her, since he had always assumed she knew. He grew up in a family that never said 'I love you' to one another, and he wasn't aware that was what Tenten wanted to hear. Of course he loved her. He wouldn't have asked her out if he didn't.

The breakup was so unexpected to Neji because when he asked her out, that was it. In his mind, they would stay together, until death separated them.

And yet, here he was, longing for her back. He didn't care if showing more affection made him uncomfortable—he would do anything to prove his feelings for Tenten. If she wanted him to hold hands more, than that's what they would do. And he figured, the more affectionate he was with her, the easier and more natural it would feel.

Neji glanced over at where Tenten was conversing with their sensei, Gai's booming voice filling the air and almost overshadowing the lilting sound of her laughter. But Neji heard it. It was a sound he would be able to recognize in a sea of voices. And he longed for her to share it with him again.

There were many things he longed for when it came to Tenten, but mainly, he longed for her to be his again. To eat with her, talk with her, hold her. He understood now that he had done wrong. He hadn't realized she needed more than just his presence. She needed confirmation of his feelings, just as she confirmed her feelings for him on a regular basis.

He would get her back. And he wouldn't mess up a second time. He would tell her every day that he loved her, if that was what she wished.

Strengthening his resolve, Neji started planning just how he would win back his Weapons Mistress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Desiderium: a feeling of longing, especially grief.
> 
> Each day the POV changes (if you haven't noticed that already). I like getting into the minds of both characters, and usually with a longer story I will change the POV throughout, but these are fairly short fics this week since they all run into each other, so I decided to just leave the POV on one of them each day.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading! Reviews are welcomed and appreciated!


	5. Day 6 - Loss

Tenten had known their breakup would hurt—a lot—but what she hadn't been prepared for was just how long that pain would last.

She had cried herself to sleep on more than one occasion the week after she broke up with Neji, and instead of easing the pain in her chest, the time apart just made it more apparent. Like she was missing a large portion of her heart now that he was gone.

Not that he was gone gone. She saw him almost every day for training and she ate with him and the rest of Team Gai on a regular basis. But the essence of them was gone. What had made them a couple was gone. And Tenten felt that loss right down to her core, day in and day out.

He had tried to apologize, but Tenten hadn't been ready to hear it. She wanted to be left alone to grieve, to get over the heartbreak of losing him. Since time healed all wounds, Tenten wanted that time to repair her broken heart.

Instead, all it did was fissure her already fractured heart into more pieces. She felt more vulnerable than ever, and Tenten hated feeling vulnerable. She was a strong woman, an independent woman, and yet she wanted nothing more than to have him back in her life. But that would be a bad decision, since she could still remember how unhappy she had become with him. Unless he was willing to make changes, she would not take him back.

That didn't mean she never dreamt about him, though. Holding her, loving her. Reassuring her that he would never leave her. Some mornings she woke up flushed, her dream being amorous in nature, while other mornings she woke up with such an intense longing for him that tears burned the backs of her eyelids.

Tenten didn't regret her decision, but she still felt the loss of him with every fibre of her being, and she wondered if it would ever get easier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only a small one today. Tomorrow's is a little longer, then the day after that is the conclusion to this little storyline.
> 
> Thank you for reading! Please leave a review if you're enjoying Nejiten month so far.


	6. Day 7 - Relapse

The banging was loud enough to wake the dead, but Neji wasn't in the mood to care. He _needed_ to see Tenten. And if she didn't come to the door in the next few seconds, he was willing to break it down to get to her.

He added his voice to the mix, yelling her name over the commotion of the thumping of his fists on her front door. If he were thinking rationally, he would know this was a ridiculous thing to be doing, but Neji was definitely not in his right mind. His pale eyes were bright, a glassy sheen coating them, and he had to catch himself more than once before he tripped over his own feet and fell down the few stairs leading up to her apartment.

The door flung open, so abruptly that Neji stumbled forward slightly, not expecting it. Tenten's furious face filled the space and Neji felt his heart pick up at the sight of her, hair ruffled and clothes unkempt from sleep.

"Neji, what the hell are you doing here? Are you _drunk?_ " Her glare lessened for a moment, a different look taking its place at the sight of him wobbling in front of her. She shook her head. "What are you going to do if your uncle sees you like this? You're underage."

"I do not care if my uncle sees me," Neji replied, his voice clear, without a trace of slurring that would be present in anyone else.

"You will once you're sober again."

Neji stepped closer to his former girlfriend, his eyes drinking in the sight of her. His arms came up to rest on her shoulders, but his perception was off and they glided through the empty air in front of her. He tried again, this time hitting his target, and squeezed her shoulders as he stared into her eyes.

"I miss you, Tenten."

Even as hammered as he was, Neji noticed the hitch in her breath at his words, the way her pupils dilated, unable to look away from him. Her surprise lasted only a moment, though, before she tried to extract herself from his arms.

"No, Neji. We broke up. You can't be here."

Instead of stepping away, Neji planted his hands either side of her face and drew her to him, closing his lips over hers. She gave a surprised squeak and attempted to pull away, but he held her steady. Soon, she stopped struggling and kissed him back, just as passionately.

The taste of her lips after so long was like heaven. Like a drug he couldn't get enough of. He would forever be addicted to her taste, her scent. Of her. And he never wanted to part from her again.

Neji pushed her backwards, until they had crossed the threshold of her home and she was pressed against the wall of her living room. He ravaged her, his lips and teeth and tongue devouring her own in a frenzy of need he didn't think would ever be extinguished. His hands found their way under her night shirt, feeling the smooth, taut skin of her stomach before traveling upwards to her breasts. He groaned against her mouth at the feel of them in his hands after so long. He dropped his lips, kissing his way from her neck to her shoulder, revelling in the shivers he elicited from her at the contact.

Tenten's hands moved to rest against his chest, and for a moment Neji thought she would help him out of his shirt, but instead she pushed against him.

"Neji, stop." Her voice was breathy but firm, a command. When he didn't listen, she pushed against his chest harder. "You're drunk, Neji. Stop."

Neji didn't want to stop. Now that he had her in his arms, he wanted to strip her bare and worship her from head to toe. He wanted to show her with his body how much he cared for her, how much he missed her, and how much he needed her.

But even drunk, Neji had some sense about him. If she said to stop then he would stop.

Using every ounce of self-control he could muster, Neji let his arms fall to his side and stepped back, his ragged breathing loud in the quiet room. The sight of her, flushed with swollen lips, almost stole his control, but he reigned it in, forcing himself to stand still.

Tenten heaved a shaky sigh. She reached out and cupped the side of his face, her eyes shining with tears. "I miss you too Neji, but this isn't right. You're drunk right now; you don't know what you're doing."

She was wrong. He knew exactly what he was doing. Neji had been trying to find the courage to visit her. He had even thought of tossing his pride aside and begging her to take him back—that was how much she meant to him. It was only after he had found one of his uncle's bottles of liquor—and drank half of it—that he found the courage to see her.

Neji would never tell her that though, of course. No, let her think this was just a drunken mistake by a desperate man. He was desperate, yes, but this wasn't a mistake. He couldn't ever call kissing Tenten a mistake. Of feeling her body against him, of hearing her moans and sighs as he touched her.

Tenten took his silence for remorse, and she stepped back with a sad smile. "Be careful on your way home, Neji."

She allowed him to draw closer and kiss her softly once more before turning to leave. That response alone made Neji sure that he would be able to win her back. If she were truly over him, she wouldn't have let her kiss him at all. He knew how strong she was, knew she would have been able to stop him anytime.

No, she still wanted him. Cared for him, even. And that thought had him feeling hopeful, for the first time since their breakup. He _would_ win her back. And then he would cherish her properly, the way he should have done the first time around.

Neji was determined to never let her go again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tomorrow's prompt is the last one for this storyline. Will they or won't they? And then I really need to get cracking on some of next week's prompts. I'm probably going to bail on a few of them though, if I don't find any inspiration soon.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this one! Feel free to leave a review if you did.


	7. Day 8 - Green Spandex

"I have a special gift for you all today, team!" Gai's voice carried over the training grounds, excited and pumped for the day ahead.

Tenten was sceptical, as she always was when it came to anything her sensei had in store for them. But she couldn't help but be curious about what it could be, considering how excited he was to show them.

Of course, she should have known better. As soon as he whipped the green spandex outfits from behind his back, she knew she would hate whatever he was about to say.

"Today, we will be conducting our training while wearing these beauties!"

It took all Tenten's self-control not to groan at his declaration. "But Gai sensei! You never make us wear that outfit. Why now?"

"Exactly, Tenten! I'm lenient with you and Neji, but not today. You will listen to your sensei and put these on. Then, you will finally realize how amazing they are!"

"Yosh!" Lee yelled, pumping his fist in the air. "What a brilliant idea, Gai sensei! Quickly put them on Neji, Tenten."

Tenten could think of plenty of other things she would rather do to the disgusting piece of green spandex flapping in the wind, but she knew she couldn't say no to her sensei's request. That didn't stop her from grumbling, though, as she snatched the outfit out of his hand, before making her way to the set of public toilets nearby.

She was aware of Neji doing the same thing—sans the grumbling, of course—but didn't slow down to let him catch up with her. She locked herself in a stall and stripped, before struggling into the green atrocity. There weren't any mirrors, but Tenten could just imagine what she looked like, and a shudder passed through her body as the image entered her mind.

Stepping out of her stall, she noticed a flash of green nearby and turned to see Neji frowning down at the outfit he wore. He glanced up at her and they locked eyes, and a snort escaped Tenten before she was able to stop it.

Neji took her in from head to toe, his lips tipped up in amusement, and Tenten couldn't hold back the laugh building inside of her. He looked ridiculous—and no doubt, so did she.

"That looks amazing on you, Neji," Tenten teased, laughter still lacing her voice. "Green is definitely your colour."

His eyes flashed with humour, his lips curving up even more. "I hope Gai sensei does not parade us around town," he commented, plucking at the tight, form fitting fabric. "We will be a spectacle."

"He probably will, just to see our reaction. Maybe even make us walk on our hands and do laps with him and Lee."

Neji chuckled. Tenten's heart warmed at seeing his happy face again, of laughing with him after so long had passed. Not that he laughed a lot at the best of times, but he had come a long way since they were Genin, and he had shown her that he did indeed have a sense of humour.

They were smiling at each other when he took a step towards her, his eyes turning serious. "Tenten, I know that I have apologised before, but please allow me to apologise again for hurting you, because that was never my intention."

All the humour inside her evaporated in an instant. Tenten didn't know what to say, could only nod silently at him to continue while her she tried to reign in her pounding heart.

"You know I am not good with expressing my feelings to others, even to you." He took another step closer, so he was directly in front of her. "It was hard for me to show you affection, both with my words and actions, but I tried. Apparently, I did not try hard enough."

He looked down at his feet, breaking eye contact. He took a deep breath before meeting her gaze again. "I love you, Tenten. I am sorry I did not tell you sooner. My family… we do not say such things to each other, and I know that should not be an excuse, but I found it difficult to say the words out loud to you before." He reached out to take her hands in his. "I will do better. I cannot promise I will succeed all the time, but I promise to try."

Tenten couldn't stop the tears from filling her eyes at his words. "I don't want you to force yourself, Neji," she said, giving his hands a squeeze. "I would never want to make you uncomfortable in order to please me. Just hearing you say that makes me extremely happy."

"I will not force myself. I was naïve, not realizing what you needed as your boyfriend. I want to correct that. Never again do I want you to feel as though I do not care for you." He looked deep into her eyes, his own reflecting the truth of his words, so much that Tenten felt her eyes fill with tears again. "Tenten, will you be my girlfriend again?"

"Yes," Tenten replied with a grin. "I love you, Neji. And I promise I will do better too."

Neji smiled. A genuine, bright smile that made Tenten's heart melt at the sight of it. And then he kissed her, his arms wrapping around her waist to draw her closer to him.

At the back of her mind, Tenten knew her team was waiting for them to start training, but she didn't care. She was right where she wanted to be, and she didn't ever want to leave.

.

Some distance away, teacher and pupil watched their teammates as they reconciled. They both wore the stretchy, green material from neck to toe, and Gai felt a surge of pride at the sight they made.

"How did you know that would work, Gai sensei?" Lee asked, glancing up at the older man with wonder.

"I didn't," Gai admitted. "But I did know for a fact that they still cared about each other and that they were miserable being apart. So, I thought they just needed a push—some way to break the tension between them." He sent his pupil a grin. "And what better way to relax people than by making them laugh?"

"So, we're not going to train in matching outfits then?"

"Of course we are!" Gai wasn't going to let this opportunity slip through his fingers. He would parade his students through the streets of Konoha, proudly showing off the greatest team in the village for everyone to see. He knew he would never get this chance again.

The fact that his two precious students had made up was the icing on the cake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to make this prompt a little lighter, since most of this week has been angsty. I'm running behind on next week's prompts, so I might not end up doing all of them as I'd planned, but I will try my best!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading. Your support helps keeps me motivated!


	8. Day 10 - Pirate AU (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been so excited to share this story! This is part 1 of 3. The next two parts will be uploaded in the next couple of days. I hope you enjoy!!!

The smell of fermenting rum was strong this close to the barrels that stored them, but Tenten refused to find another hiding spot. It had taken a lot of stealth to sneak past all those pirates undetected and make her way down to the storeroom, and she wasn't going to risk getting caught leaving her place of hiding to look for another, less putrid smelling hiding place. She would just have to deal with stench of rum, along with all the other smells that permeated the darkened room she was in.

The storeroom wasn't often used, only when members of the ship needed an item to fix something on the ship, or when the cook needed more food. Tenten was confident she would be able to hear them ahead of time and make herself scarce so she wouldn't be seen. She would also have unlimited food if she hid in here, which was a good thing, since she wasn't sure when they would next get to a port. Tenten was quite happy to stay out of sight until then—anything to make sure she never had to see her hometown again. She would die before going back there.

The pirates had recently set off, to go adventuring or looting or whatever the brigands did with their time out on the open sea. Tenten wanted nothing to do with them, but they were the only ship in port when she had made her way to the docks. And since time was sensitive, she had no choice but to stow aboard.

The room around her was spacious, and she longed to take her time exploring it, but not until she was certain she wouldn't be disturbed. Another few hours, until the pirates above were deep into their duties, and Tenten would leave her hiding spot and stretch her legs. And hopefully find some clothes to change into—something that was more appropriate for this type of situation. If she was to be caught, she wanted to look as much like a pirate as she could, to try and play herself off as one of the crew. For that to happen, she needed to find clothes suitable for a pirate.

Shouting could be heard from above deck, no doubt the captain or his first mate telling the crew what to do. Tenten hadn't had a chance to get a good look at their flag, so she didn't know whose ship she was on, but she hoped they weren't vicious. She had heard stories about some pirate crews being nothing more than simple animals, looting and killing every ship they happened upon. Tenten was a lone female on a ship filled with criminals—not the most ideal place to be. But really, when she thought about it, she wasn't sure if it would be any worse than her previous situation. Besides, she wasn't planning on getting caught.

But, of course, plans don't always go to… well, plan.

.

.

.

Captain Neji Hyuga stood at the helm with his first mate, Rock Lee, watching as his crew scuttled about the ship like ants, going about their duties in a professional and timely manner. He let the ghost of a smile grace his lips, knowing he had chosen a crew befitting the Crimson Night. They were loyal to him and they worked hard for their spoils. And Neji always made sure they had plenty of spoils to go around.

"Captain," Lee said from beside him. "It looks like it'll be smooth sailing all the way to Kirigakure."

Neji grunted in response, pleased. Clear skies met them as far as the eye could see, and a tailwind was behind them, pushing the Crimson Night to go even faster. They were on a schedule, one he didn't want delayed, and he wouldn't tolerate anything that might get in the way of their destination.

He also knew his crew had to remain vigilant. Kirigakure wasn't the safest island to get to, with some of the most violent pirates sailing its coastline. Not that Neji was worried about losing—he trusted his crew to remain level-headed during battles, and he trusted them to do their jobs efficiently and without remorse—but Neji didn't want to be caught off guard. The outcome of a battle often lay with who had more time to prepare, and those caught unawares didn't usually make it out alive.

The day was growing long, the sun creeping low in the sky and the first strips of pink dotting the horizon. The crew would change hands soon, so the ones on duty now could rest. He glanced up at the individual currently in the crow's nest, spyglass pressed to his eye as he surveyed the distance. He would be the first one to spot any signs of danger, but it became difficult after dark. Thankfully, as the name of his ship implied, that was when they struck best. His crew often snuck up on their enemies after dark, using the element of surprise to overwhelm their opponents and easily defeat them. They would loot the ship of all their valuables—not just treasure, but food, drink and anything else they desired to take—and leave the crew tied up. Neji wasn't the sort of captain to kill needlessly, but neither was he stupid enough to let those he plundered come back for him.

Neji turned to leave, knowing he could trust his first mate to keep them on course. He still had a lot of items to get done before they arrived at Kirigakure, and he needed to make a start on them.

He was already exhausted, and it was only day one of their travels. Neji would never show weakness in front of his crew, though, and he wasn't one to put off important tasks just because he was tired. He wouldn't go to bed until he was finished what he needed to get done.

It was going to be a long journey.

.

.

.

Three days.

It had been three days since Tenten had stowed away on the pirate ship. The first day consisted of her trying her damndest to not throw up, being unused to travelling by ship. She hadn't thought about seasickness in her plan to sneak aboard a ship, and she refused to throw up since she didn't have anywhere safe to do so. The last thing she wanted was for someone to walk down into the storeroom and smell sick in the air. No, that couldn't happen. So, instead of letting go of her stomach's contents, Tenten used all her willpower to keep it down, doing whatever she could to distract herself from the feeling.

Another thing she hadn't planned for, was the lack of water she found. She had assumed there would be a large supply of water in some of the barrels, but each one she opened was filled to the brim with rum. Even though she had her fill to eat each day—even if it was just raw vegetables and dried beef—if she didn't drink some water soon, she would be in trouble. She could feel herself getting weaker, and her head felt as though she had woken from a night of revelry, having drunk a barrel's worth of liquor.

She had, in fact, tried drinking some of the rum in place of water, but that hadn't been the smartest thing to do. Despite the water in rum, the alcohol made her even more thirsty, and Tenten was left cursing the pirates for not leaving water below deck for her. Where, if not in the storeroom, did they store the fresh water needed for the dozen or more crew members on this blasted ship?

People had come and gone during the past few days, mainly the cook looking for more ingredients. Because it was the beginning of the trip, the fruits and vegetables brought on board, as well as the meat, were still in good condition, but after a week, she knew they would start wilting. The cook would have to stew up the meat soon before it all went bad—unless they didn't mind eating off meat. Still, Tenten's mouth watered at the thought of biting into a nice piece of meat, instead of the dry rations she had found. But she couldn't complain, and she definitely couldn't try and sneak some cooked food for herself. No, that would be stupid.

It didn't stop her from imagining, though.

But even as she tried to come up with a plan, she knew nothing would work. Despite the clothes she was able to find, she still stuck out as a woman. She had tried to bind her breasts as much as possible, but they still stuck out prominently—no hot-blooded man would believe for a second that she was an adolescent male. Leaving the storeroom during the day would be suicide, with all the footsteps she could hear coming from the deck. Even if she left her hideaway in the evening, with the shadows to conceal her on deck, she wouldn't be able to get past the crew members in closer quarters.

No, she couldn't risk it.

She sulked against the barrel of rum she leaned against, chewing on a dried stick of meat.

Water for drinking wasn't the only thing she longed for. She hadn't had a bath in days, and she was starting to smell herself even over the top of all the rum. It was disgusting, but if she were to be caught, she hoped the sight and smell of her would ward of any grabby hands.

The ship's rocking—which she hated on the first day—began to lull her into sleep. She welcomed it, having not slept much the past couple days since she constantly worried about getting caught. Now though, she allowed it, knowing someone had just come down to the storeroom not long ago and that it would be empty of people for at least a few hours. A small nap wouldn't hurt anybody.

She allowed sleep to pull her under, her mind wandering to what she would do once she made it to a new town.

.

.

.

Neji's steps were silent as he walked down into the storeroom, the cook directly behind him. He had come to Neji earlier that day, complaining that his stores were being depleted quicker than usual. He suspected one of the men were stealing food, but Neji didn't believe that. His crew were fed satisfactorily enough that they wouldn't risk his ire by attempting to steal food.

Neji wondered if Choji was starting to lose his marbles, but as the captain of the ship, it was his duty to see firsthand what was disturbing the younger man.

Choji was blabbering on about something, but Neji wasn't listening. He had more important things to do than this, and he was only going to have a quick walk around the storeroom before he told Choji he was imagining things.

At first glance, Neji couldn't see anything out of place in the vast room, but on closer inspection, he noticed something awry. At the far side of the storeroom, a barrel's lid lay askew, having not been refitted properly. All his men knew the importance of keeping the lids securely on the liquor barrels, in order to both preserve their taste and stop the risk of rats and other vermin falling in.

He made sure to stay quiet as he walked towards the barrel, his footsteps light on the wooden floor beneath him. He held his hand out to still Choji, deciding that if there was something down here eating their food—besides rats—he would rather have the element of surprise on his side.

For good measure, he unsheathed his sword attached to his belt, although he felt it was a little bit overkill. He was sufficient in hand-to-hand combat, and in this small space he wouldn't effectively be able to wield a sword, but it might scare them into inactivity if they tried to spring an attack on him.

Neji didn't know what he was expecting to see, not really. One of his younger crew members—one of the new ones—had stolen into the storeroom, perhaps. If so, Neji would make sure they would never do so again.

What he saw, however, stole his breath, and he blinked rapidly, sure he must be imagining things. Surely, this couldn't be happening.

Neji eyed the sleeping figure in front of him, a frown tugging at his lips. "What do we have here?"

.

.

.

Murmurs nudged Tenten awake, but she didn't quite understand the implication of the noise until she opened her eyes.

Two men were staring down at her from where she was propped up against the barrel, leftovers of her latest meal strewn around the floor in front of her. One of the men looked shocked, like he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing, while the other man had a stern, almost angry expression on his—surprisingly—very handsome face.

"Who the hell are you?" the handsome pirate asked.

It was only then that Tenten noticed the sword in his grip and she had to fight the panic that threatened to overtake her. There was no point in freaking out—that would likely only get her killed. No, cool and calm was how she needed to play it.

She made a show of yawning loudly, as though she belonged there and wasn't a stowaway. "Sorry, I must have fallen asleep on duty," she said in a faux deep voice. "I just came in here for a quick break."

The angry pirate just frowned deeper, though one of his eyebrows lifted slightly at her words. "Are you the one eating all our food?"

"I mean, aren't we all eating our food?" she shot back. It dawned on her belatedly that this man could be important—he didn't look like a shabby deckhand, that was for sure. Maybe he was the first mate, or even... No, the captain wouldn't be down here, skulking around the storeroom for a potential thief. Surely not. Still, maybe she shouldn't give him so much lip.

That eyebrow twitched again, so perfectly manicured for a pirate. "I was not aware we were feeding a female on this vessel."

"He's a _she?_ " the other man asked, mouth open in surprise.

Tenten felt the slightest satisfaction knowing that her guise could, in fact, trick these pirates—some of them, at least. But that meant absolutely nothing now, not when this pirate so quickly ascertained who she was.

A smirk tugged at his lips. "Of course. She has no doubt tried to conceal this fact, but it is impossible to hide completely." Face turning fierce again, he gave her a quick, clinical once-over before holding her captive with his impossibly pale eyes. "Who are you, and why are you on my ship?"

His ship? _His_ ship? Tenten wanted to smack herself upside the head. He was the captain, after all! Why hadn't she remained vigilant? Instead, she had figured no one would be around, and she had been so tired she couldn't help but fall asleep. Now this pirate knew about her—worse, knew she was a woman! If she was lucky, he would kill her quickly. But if she had stumbled upon a vicious pirate ship... Tenten shuddered. She didn't want to think about what could be in store for her.

"Do not test my patience, girl. I will not ask again." The pirate captain had sheathed his sword—no doubt thinking she would be no match for him physically, and he would be right—and he stood above her, imposing with his arms crossed against his chest.

"I'm sorry, but I was just so hungry. I saw the food getting carted onto your ship and I acted without thinking." She was lying, but it was better this than telling the truth. There was no way she was going to give him more ammunition to attack her.

From the way he continued to stare at her, eyeing her figure again, this time slower, she doubted he believed her lie. She didn't particularly _look_ like a woman starving. Still, to her surprise he didn't press further. Instead, he reached down and roughly pulled her to her feet, making her head sway from dizziness. She had been too long without water, and she could feel herself on the brink of passing out.

Without speaking, he half pulled, half dragged her up the stairs and onto the open deck of the ship. Tenten had to shield her eyes from the sun, having spent so long in the dim storeroom, and she wasn't prepared for the effect the sudden heat had on her. Her head swam and she swayed in the pirate captain's grip. Unable to stop herself, Tenten fell limp and her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she passed out.

.

.

.

Neji felt his captive grow limp in his hold. He thought it was a ploy of deception, but when he glanced at her, he saw the perspiration coating her brow, saw how her face had paled considerably during their short walk. She started to collapse, her feet no longer able to hold her up, but he caught her before she was able to take a nose-dive to his deck.

Lee is in front of him almost instantaneously, his bushy brows tugged down at confusion. "Captain, who is this?"

"A stowaway."

The woman was tall but lean, and it didn't take much effort to lift her in his arms. He wrinkled his nose at the smell that assaulted him.

"Do you want me to take her off your hands for you, Captain?"

Neji was about to shake his head no, but then wondered why he would do such a thing. He was the captain of a pirate ship—he didn't need to concern himself over mangy stowaways onboard.

"Take her to the brig," he told his first mate, letting him take hold of her so his arms were left empty. "Don't make a big deal of it either—I do not want the whole crew knowing there is a woman on board."

"Aye, Captain. Of course."

"Make sure there's water in her cell for when she wakes up. It does not seem as though she has had any since we left port."

"Aye. Food too?" Lee asked while looking down into the face of the dirty female.

Neji was tempted to say no. She had crept on board without their knowledge, after all. But he wasn't cruel, and definitely never to a lady. "Yes, but just the bare minimum. Bread and a little soup will suffice for her." He wasn't cruel, but he wasn't about to give her the best of their supplies either.

Lee turned to do what his captain asked, but Neji stopped him with one more request. "Notify me when she wakes up. I want to pay her a visit and find out the real reason she decided to come aboard the Crimson Night."

"Aye, Captain." With a nod, Lee left to do his bidding.

With that settled, Neji made his way to helm in order to ascertain their current location. He wasn't about to allow himself to be distracted by a woman—no matter how pretty he imagined her to be under all that dirt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have always wanted to write a pirate AU, so I was happy that this was one of the prompts. Sadly, though, I couldn't make it too long, since it's part of Nejiten Month, so I had to condense it a lot. Otherwise, of course I would have added scenes and made it longer than what it will end up being. Even so, I've had so much fun writing this, and I really hope you enjoy reading it.
> 
> I'd love to know what you think of it so far in the comments.


	9. Day 11 - Pirate AU (Part 2)

Tenten instantly felt the change of temperature upon awakening. Where she was warm in the storeroom, she could not stop shivering in this new location. After opening her eyes, she realized she had been moved to the brig, a revelation that angered Tenten more than frightened her.

How dare the captain put her behind bars! She was a lady—a woman of station—and he had no right to show such disrespect to her person. Of course, she knew she didn't look like a woman at the moment. No, she looked more like a homeless person from the streets, not the wealthy young lady she was.

Which was for the best. Tenten refused to give her real identity away to this man—even if he decided to torture her for it. Telling him would equal death—not just her own, but his and his crew's as well. Not that Tenten should care one bit about what might happen to him or his crew members, but she didn't want to be caught up in more of her father's—and _his_ —mess than necessary.

Tenten wondered if the captain would be willing to let her go once he reached his destination in exchange for her working on board. It would be preferable than being kept in this cold, damp cell. But even if she must remain here, if he promised to let her go once they reached land, she wouldn't complain. Hell, she even contemplated warming his bed for the duration of their journey if that was what persuade him to let her leave without harm. For surely by now her fiancé knew of her absence and was rallying his men to find her.

Tenten would take her chances with these pirates over being handed back to that man.

So no, she would not tell the captain who she was, and she would do everything in her power to leave this ship and make a new life on some unremarkable small town, somewhere her fiancé would never find her.

"Are you awake?"

The voice startled Tenten and she jumped, her head whipping around to find the speaker. A man stepped into the dingy lamp light, holding a tray in his hands.

"The captain asked me to make sure you had enough water, since you seemed dehydrated," he said, letting himself into the cell and placing the tray in front of her with a kind smile. "He also told me to get you some food. I'm sorry it is only basic. The captain would flog me if he found out I fed you anything other than what he told me to."

Tenten didn't care. The piece of crusty bread and watered down soup looked like heaven compared to the raw vegetables she had been eating every day. She would have loved some stew, or something with chunks of meat in it, but she wouldn't complain. This was more than she had expected to receive from the pirate captain, and she would be an idiot to be ungrateful for it.

"Thank you." Tenten smiled at the kind pirate, wondering how such a man found this sort living.

"My name is Rock Lee, but you may just call me Lee. I am the first mate to captain Neji Hyuga of the Crimson Night. What is your name?"

Tenten had heard of the Crimson Night. The crew weren't as vicious as other pirates, but they were still ruthless, and they revelled in looting other ships, pirate or otherwise. Tenten supposed she was fortunate to have found herself onto a ship that took captives instead of killing all their enemies, and she had never heard of stories of the crew of the Crimson Night raping people. But just because she hadn't heard of it, did not mean it didn't happen…

"Your name, miss?" the first officer asked again, watching her with shrewd, guarded eyes. Tenten got the feeling that although he was kind to her, he wasn't one to be trifled with.

"I'm nobody," she replied. She grabbed the jug of water off the tray and took a huge gulp, not wanting to keep eye contact with the pirate. Although the water tasted slightly stale, she felt as though she could cry as it ran down her throat to settle in her belly. Nothing had ever tasted so nice.

"Even so, you must have a name."

She shook her head. "I don't want to say."

"If you are unwilling to say, I can only assume that you are a lady of means and you are afraid we will recognise the name and hold you for ransom. That, or you are running from someone and do not wish for us to spill your secrets to them." He spoke in an amused tone, as though he was just making it up, but Tenten knew he meant the words, and she had to stop herself from panicking at just how close to the truth he had come—on both counts.

"Does it matter what my name is?" she snapped, using anger to hide her fear. "You can only be planning to either kill me or let me go, and I don't see why my name is relevant in either case. If you want to kill me for stowing away on your ship, just do it. I'd rather not have my imminent death dragged out. And if you're planning on letting me go, then we won't see each other again so what's so important about knowing it?"

Lee held her gaze and Tenten had to fight not to squirm under his perusal. There was no way she was going to back down from this. As soon as they knew who she was they would attempt to benefit from that fact. And yes, she realized she could have lied, but this man seemed smart—smarter than perhaps he let on to others—and she wasn't a very good liar to begin with. It was best for her to just keep her mouth shut so as not to incriminate herself any further.

"Very well then." He stood up, gave her another long look, then nodded. "I must go. Maybe you will feel like telling the captain."

Tenten didn't think a sentence so innocuous could be said in such a threatening way, and she decided to re-evaluate the nice-guy image she had in her head of him. Of course he wasn't a nice guy. He was a pirate for goodness sake! There was nothing _good_ about pirates.

The first mate locked the cell behind him, taking with him the only lamp and leaving her in complete and utter darkness.

.

.

.

"Captain," the female captive said from her place on the floor. She was still wearing men's clothes, and it allowed her to move freely inside the cell, instead of being encumbered by so many layers. Still, Neji wouldn't mind seeing her in her usual attire—clothes that would hug her body instead of sitting like a shapeless rag.

"Lady," he nodded in reply, coming to stand at the outside of her cell door.

It had been two days since she was taken to the brig, and Neji had to admit that she was looking better. Not a lot cleaner—he had only allowed her some water and a rag to wash her face and hands, and was still yet to see a bath—but her face held colour once more and she seemed brighter, more alert than when he had found her.

"Is it lunch time yet?" she asked, eyes darting behind him in case Lee was following with a tray of food.

Neji wanted to snort at the gall of her. She was his prisoner; she would be fed when he deemed it appropriate. Hell, he had every right to withhold food from her since she was withholding information from him.

"Lee will bring something shortly," he replied instead, unable to deny her.

Neji had been visiting his prisoner since the first day she had been transferred to the brig, and each day he found himself looking forward to seeing her. She was a breath of fresh air on this testosterone filled ship, and she didn't seem intimidated by him. More than once he found himself butting heads with her, but he found her wit and intelligence attractive.

His captive smiled, and not for the first time Neji wondered what those lips would feel like against his. "And a bath too?"

Her eyes were twinkling as she asked, but he detected the hopeful note in her voice. A smirk tugged at his lips. "You get a bath when you tell me who you are."

She pouted, her shoulders slumping under the blanket he had provided for her on her first day in the brig, after he had noticed how her body shivered in the dark room.

"I'm kind of hoping you get so sick of the stench of me that you have no choice but to order me to take a bath," she admitted with a grin.

Neji raised an eyebrow at her. "I was not aware that I had the ability to order you to do anything."

She laughed at his words, the noise feminine and utterly enchanting. "True. Not many people can get away with telling me what to do."

Not for the first time, Neji had to tell himself why it would be a bad idea to enter the cell with her. He wasn't worried she would attack him, but he was worried about his own reaction to being so close to her, seeing as though he already felt attracted to the mysterious woman. He pulled up a chair and sat by the door, knowing he would be there a while despite his mind telling him he had more important things to do.

"Captain," Lee appeared at his side, too early for lunch to be served.

"What is it, Lee?" Neji didn't want to be annoyed at his first mate, but he also didn't like being disturbed when he was speaking with his captive.

"Kiba has spotted a ship in the distance, travelling in our direction. It could be nothing, but he wanted to make sure you knew either way."

"Pirates?" If they were, Neji would be more than happy to fight them head on. Otherwise, he would rather continue undisturbed, not only because their arrival at their destination was time sensitive, but now because he didn't want to risk any harm coming to his captive if a fight broke out.

"Nay, Captain. It's a navy ship."

"Keep an eye on them but let them be. We are too busy to have a skirmish with the navy right now."

"Aye, Captain. I will inform you if anything changes."

Neji nodded, satisfied that his men would do their jobs properly. He didn't believe the navy ship would bother them, but he wasn't going to be caught off guard either. "Good. You may go."

Turning back to look at his pretty captive, Neji was startled to see the colour had drained from her face and she was shaking even more than on her first day in the hold, when she had been freezing. He frowned, worried that she had suddenly become ill.

"Are you well?" he asked her, trying to keep the concern from his tone. It wouldn't do him any good if his captive found out he had taken a shine to her.

Her eyes met his, wild and… frightened? What did she have to be frightened about?

"Don't engage with them," she said with an unsteady voice. "Please. If they came after you, don't fight them."

Was she worried about a battle? No doubt, if this was her first time on a ship, of course she would be a little apprehensive.

Neji tried to give her a comforting smile, though he wasn't sure it worked. "You do not need to be afraid. My men are skilled fighters, and I will not let harm come to you."

But his captive was shaking her head, her body shaking uncontrollably. "No, no, no, no. You can't. Please!"

He wasn't sure why this was upsetting her, and Neji didn't know how to comfort her, so he tried to change the topic. "I am getting tired of calling you 'lady'. Will you tell me your name so I can call you appropriately?"

Her head snapped up to his, as though it was the first time he had asked her the question. She paled further, making Neji more concerned that something was ailing her. "No, I won't tell you. Maybe…" she paused, thinking, and then met his gaze. "If you flee from them, I will tell you."

What made her so certain that the navy ship would attack them? Lee had said they were a distance away, and naval ships rarely tried to fight pirates if they did not have backup—they knew pirates had a reputation of fighting dirty. Neji wasn't worried, but his captive seemed to think it inevitable that a fight would ensue.

"I am afraid that I cannot make such a promise," he told her. "I am a pirate; if someone wishes to go against me then they will regret it."

She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could do so Neji heard feet pounding down the stairs to the brig.

"Captain! They are turning astaboard and readying their cannons!" Lee's voice was loud and urgent in the quiet of the room, but Neji was still able to make out the sharp intake of breath from inside the cell.

"Ready the cannons, then. If a fight is what they want, then a fight is what they shall have." He stood, knowing his men needed direction, though he didn't want to leave his captive alone in her cell. A part of him wanted to stay with her and reassure her but he knew he couldn't. He was the captain of his ship, and it was his duty to make sure they came out victorious from this fight—he needed to be with his crew.

"Wait!" His captive scrambled to her feet and clutched at the cell doors, just inches from where he was standing. Her eyes held fear like he had never seen before. "At least give me a knife or a dagger to defend myself. I'll die otherwise!"

Neji frowned, not only because she wanted a weapon to defend herself against the navy—people she should be overjoyed to see at that moment—but also because of the finality of her voice. Did she truly believe she would be killed in this skirmish?

"I will not let you die. You will be safe here." Neji longed to do something more, to prove he would keep his word. But what would it look like to his first mate if he reached through the bars to caress her face? No, that would not be a good idea.

"I will keep you safe," he promised, his voice low. He fixed his eyes on hers, willing her to believe him, but she shook her head and stepped away from the grates, a look of defeat on her face. She didn't believe him. Neji was surprised at how much that hurt, but he couldn't fault her for not trusting him. They may have formed a rapport over the last few days, but she was still his prisoner.

He turned his back on her and made his way up the stairs, his first mate hot on his heels. He would take care of this problem, but he wouldn't stay away from his captive for long.

It was about time they got to know each other better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted to add another scene, where they talk for the first time, and if I were making this a longer fic, I would have. But alas, I have to condense it. Perhaps I'll end up writing this as a full story line in the future. Not sure how many people would want to read a pirate AU though...


	10. Chapter 10

Tenten felt another shudder wrack through her body as she watched the captain disappear from sight. She hoped she was wrong, but in her gut Tenten knew she wasn't.

Her fiancé had found her.

It didn't matter how, but she knew it was him. Every fibre in her being _knew_ he had come for her, and he wouldn't stop until he found her.

Hidan was a vicious man, one who had been close to her father for many years. She had known her father was violent—had taken the brunt of that violence more than once herself—but she had never believed he would do something as cruel as give her to Hidan. He was a wolf in sheep's clothing—kind and generous to the public, but violent and cruel behind closed doors.

Tenten knew from the day her father promised her to Hidan that she would have to run, to get as far away from him as possible. She thought she had time—time to gather clothes, money and food, enough to get herself to safety. She had thought wrong.

The evening she fled, Tenten's father informed her that Hidan would be arriving the next day and their nuptials would be held the day after. The words had sickened her to the core, and Tenten knew if she didn't leave straight away, she would be nailing her own coffin. As soon as she left her father's study, Tenten had fled. She ran and run until she made it to the docks, finding a lone ship that she knew would take her away from her cruel fiancé.

She should have known she couldn't escape him, though. Hidan always got what he wanted, and for some twisted reason, he wanted her. But he wouldn't get her. Tenten would kill herself before she let him take her.

Tenten stumbled when a cannon hit the ship, disturbing the freak-out she was in the middle of. She shook her head, determined to rid herself of her cowardly thoughts. She wasn't going to die today. She would find some way to get out of this cell where she was trapped and find a better place to hide. She would find a weapon and defend herself, and she would kill him if he came near her.

Another cannon hit the ship, so close that Tenten screamed, falling to the floor from the force of the rocking ship. Wood splintered and light flooded in from outside only a few inches from her position. Tenten eyed the gaping hole the cannon had made before turning to look where it landed.

She gasped at her good fortune; the cannon had knocked her cell door from its hinges, allowing her the opportunity to escape.

Doubt made her pause for a moment. What if the crew mistook her for one of the naval officers and struck her down? What if they were already on board, looking for her?

She shook her head again. This was no time to be thinking negatively. She needed to keep her head on straight. She wasn't safe here; trapped in this room with no escape route. She needed a better place to hide, somewhere Hidan wouldn't be able to find her.

After another brief pep talk to herself, Tenten got to her feet and crept towards the front of her cell. She knew it was risky going above deck with all the fighting going on, but she didn't have a choice. Taking a deep breath, Tenten made her way slowly up the stairs, the sound of battle getting louder the more she ascended.

The sight that she was greeted with stole her breath and she fought the sudden urge to vomit on the wooden deck. Tenten was used to violence, but not on this scale. All around her, pirates and sailors fought against each other, their cutlasses clanging loudly despite the creaking wood and shouted insults that filled the air. Blood soaked the deck, and Tenten could see more than a few people lying unmoving, their bodies soaked with a deep crimson.

As she eyed the gruesome scene with horror, Tenten was suddenly glad she hadn't yet eaten. She knew she should not be siding with either party, but a small part of her cheered the pirates on, hoping they won against their foes. Tenten refused to even think about what would happen to her if they lost.

Tenten shook her head and pried her eyes away from the fighting. This was no time to be distracted. She needed to find somewhere to hide—but where? She could try and make it to the storeroom again, find a dark nook and keep hidden. If given enough time, she could move crates and barrels around to form a protective cocoon around her, a barrier big enough to hide her in.

With the decision made, Tenten made her way in the direction she hoped the storeroom was. She couldn't exactly remember, since she had passed out after emerging from the darkened room. She kept low, not wanting to draw attention to herself, and tried to stick to the outside of the ship. Tenten knew she wouldn't be completely invisible, but she hoped that no one would pay attention to her with all the fighting going on.

"If it isn't my fiancée," a voice called from behind her. "I had a feeling I'd find you here, with these worthless bastards."

Tenten froze at the sound of Hidan's voice, her whole body locking up as her fight or flight instincts struggled for dominance. But she could do neither—there was nowhere to flee, and she had not yet found a weapon with which to fight. She had been found, and now she would pay for fleeing from her intended.

"Imagine my surprise when I arrived on your island to hear you were nowhere to be found." His voice was conversational, as though they were back in her living room, sitting down for morning tea. But Tenten could hear the steel underneath. He was furious, and he would make her regret her actions.

"You're a long way from home, my dear," he continued. "Fortunately, I have come to take you back."

Slowly, Tenten turned around to face her fiancé. She wanted to scream at him, to wail and rage, but she knew it would be futile. The more she did to provoke him, the worse her punishment would be.

"I'm not going back with you," she replied, grateful her voice sounded stronger than she felt. She glared at him, balling her hands into fists by her side to stop them from shaking. "I would rather die than go back with you."

A slow, sadistic smirk graced his lips and Tenten's stomach roiled the sight. "That is unfortunate to hear, my dear. But I can arrange that for you, if that is your wish."

Tenten had thought to argue with him a little longer, so that he would let down his guard enough that she could run. She hadn't expected to agree to her death wish so quickly—or eagerly—and she could only stand there, locked in place with nowhere to go, as he slowly stalked towards her.

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.

_What the hell is she doing up here?_ Neji thought to himself, anger burning in his chest at the sight of his captive sneaking along the deck. She had escaped her prison cell and was risking her neck up here, where the battle was raging. Could she truly be that foolish?

But even as his mind told him to move closer to her, to make sure she was protected from the enemy, Neji noticed a figure following her. Panic had his heart rate spiking and he quickly dispatched the opponent he was fighting in order to follow them.

As he crept closer, Neji couldn't help but notice the rigid way she held herself, or that she was shaking like a leaf, despite the warm sea breeze. And then he saw her face, and her features stopped him cold. Pure, unadulterated fear held her in place as she looked at the man who had finally cornered her. She was terrified of this stranger, and Neji wondered if this was the reason she hadn't wanted them to engage in battle in the first place.

"What business do you have with my prisoner?" he asked, ensuring his voice carried over the sounds of fighting surrounding them.

The naval officer turned at the sound of his voice, his lips lifting into a sneer at the sight of Neji. "I could get you all hanged for stealing my fiancée and keeping her prisoner on your ship. Thankfully, I would much rather cut you down here than wait for justice to be served."

Fiancée? Neji's captive was this person's fiancée? If that were the case, why did she look so scared of him? Was he the reason she had stowed away on his ship?

Neji didn't know all the details, but he didn't need to. This man would not be going anywhere near his captive, not when she was so clearly terrified of him. He must be a bad man, if she would rather hide away on a pirate's ship than be near him.

"I am afraid that will not be happening," Neji replied casually, lifting his cutlass in front of him. "You will not be making it off my ship alive."

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Tenten backed away as the two men came together, the sound of steel against steel ringing in the air. Hidan was furious, she knew, but more surprising was the look on the captain's face. Neji's features were set in a hard line, and he refused to give Hidan an inch, no matter how viciously her fiancé fought.

The navy ship was still firing canons, much to Tenten's surprise. She would think, with comrades on board, they would be more careful, but they continued to fire their cannons despite the risk to their men. With each hit, she felt the ship shake and she had to grip the side to keep herself steady.

Watching the men in front of her, Tenten silently rooted for her pirate captain. Out of the two of them, Tenten knew he was the better person. He had shown her kindness and she couldn't help but be attracted to the intelligence he possessed, which had taken her by surprise. She hadn't expected him to be so smart, but he surprised her with the various topics he not only brought up during his visits, but with his knowledge of those topics as well. And he had shown her a wit she had not expected to see, despite his almost sour-like demeanour. Even though he was a pirate, Tenten had come to realize he was a good man. A much better man than Hidan, that was for sure.

The men were fighting still, throwing taunts and jabs at each other with each swing of their blade. The battle, too, continued to rage on, with no end in sight, and Tenten wondered if this was how all skirmishes at sea were like. Would they continue to battle until neither side had anyone left? Would she be the only one standing at the end of it? Or would she too perish this day?

No sooner had she thought the last question, than a canon hit the side of the pirate ship, so violently that she was thrown overboard. Her eyes widened and she tried to grapple for a handle on the side of the ship, but her fingers couldn't find purchase, and she fell to the icy sea below.

.

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Neji shouted in alarm, knowing he would be too late to go to her rescue. The blast of the canon rocked the ship, and only his years of being on a ship helped him stay balanced. His eyes had automatically found her, a feeling of dread overtaking him as he watched her stumble and fall over the side of his ship, unable to save herself.

Being as distracted as he was, he almost missed his opponent lunge for him, and only barely managed to block the attack. The blade grazed his arm instead of his chest, but even the sharp bite of pain couldn't stop the pounding of his heart. He needed to rescue her, but he couldn't step away from this fight.

"You're looking a little pale there, captain," his opponent said, almost cheerfully. "Am I to guess that my dear fiancée found her way to the fishes?" He shot a quick glance over his shoulder before turning back to him with a smirk. "A shame. I was looking forward to killing her."

Neji's blood boiled at his words and he charged forward to attack. "You would kill your own fiancée?" he spat, the steel of his sword glancing off his opponent's.

"I would have kept her for a time, first. I deserve my husbandly dues, am I not? But yes, ultimately both her and her father would be seeing my blade."

He spoke so casually, as if killing an innocent woman was not a heinous crime. Neji understood a little more why his captive had been so afraid of him. "Too bad, you will never get the chance." he sneered.

Neji worked fast, knowing that each second he wasted here was another second his captive was in danger of drowning. And that was something he would not allow to happen. He advanced aggressively, using all the years of training to push his opponent back despite his attempts to defend himself. Neji swung wide and his opponent blocked, much as Neji had anticipated. He pulled a dagger from his belt and plunged it through the man's heart, ending his life more swiftly than Neji would have preferred.

"Captain," Lee ran up to him, breathless from the fight. His eyes were bright, the battle energizing him, and he looked from his captain to the man who had just been dispatched.

"Lee, tell the crew to finish up and tie whoever is left alive up on their boat."

"Aye, Captain." His first mate gave him a confused look when Neji handed him his sword. "What are you doing?"

"Make sure someone is standing nearby to haul me back onto my ship," he said, ignoring the look of surprise on Lee's face. "I have a damsel in distress to rescue."

The water was cold, much colder than he was anticipating, and Neji feared that he may have taken too long. That he may be too late. The water was clear, though, despite being churned up by the rocking of the ships, and Neji was able to see below the surface relatively well. He couldn't see her, and he feared the thought that she had been crushed by the weight of the ship.

"Over here!" a very feminine voice yelled, laced with panic.

Neji spun in the water and saw a figure waving at him from a distance. Relief flowed through him at the sight of her, and he used his powerful arms to swim towards her. "Are you injured?" he asked. She was treading water, but Neji could tell she was tiring easily, and he used his arm to draw her close to him. If she asked, he would say it was to conserve her energy, but that would be a lie. He wanted to be close to her right now, to make sure that she was okay.

"I'm fine. A little terrified, but fine." She tried to give him a smile, but it was strained. "What happened to Hidan? Is he…?"

"I take it that was your fiancé's name? You do not need to fear him anymore. He is dead."

She let out a long breath and he felt her sag against him at the knowledge. "I know it's a horrible thing to say about a person, but I'm glad. I think if you had told me he was on deck waiting, I would have taken my chances with the sharks."

Neji longed to know the details of why Hidan made her so scared, but first he needed to see to her safety. Holding her around the waist with one arm, Neji started swimming back to the ship, where he knew someone would be waiting for them.

"I believe you owe me your name now," he said, trying to keep his voice light.

She turned to face him with raised eyebrows, and Neji noticed that her lips were already starting to turn blue. "Oh? And why is that?"

"You have had a bath, courtesy of the ocean."

Tenten laughed, a beautiful amused sound that Neji realized he liked very much. "That doesn't count, and you know it,"

"Then, for killing your fiancé." Surely, he deserved much more than her name, but Neji wouldn't be greedy. Her name would be gold in itself, with how much he had been longing to learn it.

"I suppose you deserve that, at the very least." She turned to face him again and he stopped paddling forward, his breath caught in his throat as he awaited her words. "My name is Tenten. Tenten Mitashi."

Her family name rang a bell, but in that moment Neji couldn't care less as to why. He knew he would think about it later, but for now, all that mattered was her. He finally knew her name, a name that seemed to suit her perfectly. A name as pretty as the owner.

Neji resumed swimming towards the ship, repeatedly playing her name in his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said this was a three part story, but I still had quite a bit to write, so I've decided to make a part 4, which will be out in a couple of days time. Sorry, you will have to wait for the conclusion, as I have another prompt to do in the meantime, if I can get it finished on time. If I can't, I'll post part four instead.
> 
> I really hope you are enjoying this story so far! Feel free to leave a comment, I really enjoy reading them all!


	11. Day 13 - Pirate AU (Final Part

Despite the warm day, Tenten shivered against the breeze, her clothes soaked through from the seawater. One of the crew members hauled both her and the captain up and she found herself once again on the deck of the pirate ship. Which, after almost dying by both her fiancé's hand as well as the sea, Tenten wasn't in the mood to complain. These people—these supposedly barbarian people—had been kind to her. The kindest anyone had been in a very long time.

The fighting had stopped some time while Tenten was in the water, and pirates were binding their enemies with rope before sending them back to their ship by means of a plank set up between them. Tenten was curious to know how the pirates had won, but she was too cold to ask. Instead, she let herself be led by the captain as he escorted her across the deck.

At first, she thought he might be taking her back to the brig, but surely not, with the hole gaping in the middle of it. She would freeze to death if she had to spend any more time there. But when he steered her towards what she suspected was the captain's quarters, Tenten began to worry that he might want something in exchange for saving her life. She was still his captive, after all, and he had every right—at least in his mind—to demand compensation. Especially once he found out that the attack had happened because of her. She had no idea how many men he had lost in that battle, and what feelings and emotions were swirling around inside his head.

Neji opened the door and she walked inside to a spacious room. It contained a desk near the entrance along with a bookshelf that she suspected was bolted into the floor. Further inside, a bed leaned against a wall with a small window above it. Just beyond that lay a door where Tenten figured held the bathroom.

The room was significantly warmer than outside, and Tenten shivered at the abrupt change in temperature, but was grateful for the warmth. She wouldn't be surprised if her lips had started turning blue by this point. She had been in the water for longer than she would have liked, and she was exhausted from treading water for so long.

Neji spoke to a cabin boy at the door before turning back to face her. His own clothes were drenched, his long dark hair plastered to his skin, and he didn't look any better than she felt. No doubt the last thing he wanted to do was look after her.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, his soft voice loud in the quiet room.

Tenten shook her head in response. "No, just cold."

"Konohamaru is fetching some water for a bath, so you can warm yourself soon."

Not expecting that comment, Tenten was shocked. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but why are you drawing a bath for me?" She figured he would give her a change of clothes at best. She hadn't even contemplated receiving a bath from him, especially since he had refused every time she had asked him up until this point.

"If you do not get warm soon, you will become sick."

Tenten didn't doubt it. Already she could feel her nose starting to run. She was extremely grateful for being allowed a bath, but she didn't quite know how to tell him that. It wasn't as though they were suddenly best friends after surviving such a harrowing ordeal. She stepped aside as a boy, no older than twelve, walked in and out of the cabin, carrying buckets of water to fill the tub as he went.

"While it is getting ready," Neji said, opening a trunk by his bed and pulling two small towels from it. He threw one to her. "I believe you owe me an explanation. Why were you running from your fiancé?"

Tenten wrapped the towel around her shoulders, her heart sinking at the topic of conversation he chose to go with. But she supposed she owed him an explanation. "He was a cruel man. He hid it well and he was respected by many within the navy, but he had an evil about him that my father noticed straight away. He quickly became my father's right-hand man, doing many of the dirty jobs a mayor would never do himself. Amongst other things, he killed people."

Neji was sitting at the edge of his bed, listening quietly, but he didn't look convinced. "Many of us kill people. That does not necessarily make a person cruel."

"No, that's true. But enjoying it does. I heard him speaking to my father about how much he enjoyed planning his kills, of how he relished the blank look of death on people's faces when the deed was completed. He was a man unhinged, though he hid it well from much of the populace."

Tenten fidgeted where she stood, eyeing the bath through the open door to the bathroom as it continued to rise with each bucket the cabin boy poured in. She could see the steam rising from the tub and absentmindedly wondered how they were able to heat the water so much. She was grateful for being able to bathe, to get truly warm and clean, but she was still wary of her pirate captain. What would he do with her now that the danger had passed?

Neji caught her looking at him and he frowned. "You are looking pale. Are you unwell?"

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Neji hurried Konohamaru along in his mind, knowing his cabin boy could only go so fast. Thankfully, the bath was almost ready, and Tenten could soon warm her chilled bones. Her lips were blue, and she had gone pale in the last few moments, making him worry for her wellbeing.

She shuffled from foot to foot, her hands wringing in front of her, and Neji got the impression she wanted to say something but was too scared to ask. "What is it?"

"What are your plans for me now? Are you going to demand money from my father? Are you going to kill me? Or—" she glanced towards the bed quickly, "—do you want something else from me?"

"Why should I demand ransom from your father?" If she believed he would harm her now, after he had saved her life, she was dafter than he thought.

His captive had the gall to glare at him, much to his relief. If she still had spirit, she must be feeling better.

"Surely you must know who I am, now that I've told you my name."

Neji pondered over her name, having brushed it aside when she had first told him, having had more important things to focus on. Her family name was familiar, and it only took him a few moments to realize why. Neji had once considered plundering the mayor's storehouses, having had heard the man's habit of demanding more tax from the people than was needed. He was incredibly wealthy, so much so that Neji knew he could afford losing some coin. In the end, though, he had decided to pass on that endeavour, since the risk, if the job had gone south, would have outweighed the reward.

"You have no need to fear," Neji assured her, trying to keep his voice placating. "No harm will come to you on my ship. Nor will you be held for ransom." Even if the coin was tempting, Neji wouldn't want her to find her way back to her father. No doubt, he had been the one to orchestrate the marriage alliance between her fiancé and her, and anyone who would pair a woman such as she with a beast didn't deserve her in their life.

Neji saw the tension fall away from her shoulders and when she met his gaze, the relief shining in her eyes was evident. "Thank you. Though, even if you were to demand ransom, he wouldn't have paid. The only loss he will mourn will be the loss of an alliance of any kind, not the loss of his only daughter. I am glad to be away from him and his violent tendencies." She smiled, but Neji could tell the words hurt her to say, and he felt anger rise in his chest that she had experienced such cruelness in her life.

"The bath is ready, Cap'n," Konohamaru informed him, the boy's small frame gazing up at him with admiration. Neji gave him a brief smile, nodding his thanks, and Konohamaru left the cabin, shutting the door behind him.

Neji walked back to the chest by his bed and picked out a plain white long-sleeved shirt before handing it to Tenten.

"Two baths in one day? I feel like I'm getting the royal treatment." Her voice was amused but her smile was shy, and Neji found he enjoyed the combination.

His smile was brief but genuine. He wanted to continue the banter, say something to make her laugh, but he wasn't sure what to say. Lee would know, but Neji wasn't known for his sense of humour. Instead, he only said, "Take your time," and turned towards his desk.

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The bath was heavenly. Tenten had only been at sea for about a week, but already she had forgotten just how amazing a hot bath was. She took her time, washing her hair twice with some soap she found, as well as her aching body. She leaned against the edge of the tub, enjoying the way the heat soothed her sore muscles and warmed her from the inside out.

It was only when the water had cooled that Tenten pulled herself out and dried off. She slipped the shirt over her head, thankful for the captain for providing it for her. If only she had asked for pants, though. The shirt didn't quite reach her knees, and Tenten suddenly felt very self-conscience. She had never been in the presence of the opposite sex with so little on.

Opening the door slowly, she peeked out into the cabin. Neji was sitting at his desk, concentrating on something he was writing. Tenten took a deep breath and walked into the cabin, but immediately became shy when he looked up and ran his gaze over her.

She wasn't sure why, but his gaze heated her skin more than the bath had, and she quickly averted her eyes from his, finding the knickknacks on his shelf extremely interesting.

"Konohamaru will arrive soon with some food," Neji said, causing her to glance at him again. "You may eat while I bathe."

He stood up and made his way to the bathing room, and Tenten suddenly felt contrite.

"Will he not fill it again for you?" she asked. She hadn't even been thinking of the captain, and she hoped she hadn't just selfishly used all the hot water on him.

"Hot baths are a luxury on a ship. It would be a waste to use more water than necessary by emptying the tub and filling it again."

"I'm really sorry," Tenten apologised. "You should have told me. I wouldn't have spent so long in there. The water will be cold by now."

"It is fine. I am used to cold baths. Besides," he added, that small smile gracing his lips again briefly. "You needed it, after the ordeal you have gone through."

Tenten felt her heart warm at his words, at this unexpected gift from this pirate captain. "Thank you. I'm very grateful."

They gazed at each other, unmoving, until a knock at the door made Tenten jump. Neji closed the bathroom door behind him and Tenten opened the cabin door to see the young boy with two trays of food in his hands.

"Food for you and the Cap'n, miss," he said, squeezing past her into the room. He set them down on Neji's desk before giving her a small bow and leaving again.

The smell of stew—yes, stew!—made Tenten salivate. She was sitting at the desk in a heartbeat with the bowl in her hands, breathing in the delicious smell. She ate ravenously, and the food was gone much too soon for her liking. She eyed the captain's meal longingly, her stomach still rumbling pathetically.

"You are welcome to mine."

Tenten whipped her head up and around, her cheeks pinkening at both his words and the sight before her. His hair was damp, and his pants rode low on his waistband. He was shirtless, and Tenten tried not to ogle his muscular build.

She shook her head and pushed the bowl towards him. "I couldn't possibly. I already stole all the hot water. Besides, I've had my fill."

On cue, her belly rumbled and Tenten flushed, embarrassed. Neji's lips tipped upwards at the noise, and he pushed the bowl back to her. "I insist. Eat."

She did as she was told, though she ate the second bowl with more etiquette. While she ate, Neji leaned against the door of the cabin, in front of her, watching. After some time, he asked, "What are your plans now?"

"My plans?" Tenten glanced at him, a frown on her lips. "What do you mean?"

"Now that your fiancé is dead and you no longer live with your father, what do you plan on doing? What was your objective when you came aboard my ship?"

Tenten worried her lip, thinking. "My plans were to get off at the next port you stopped at and start a new life. Though, I admit I don't have much in the means of money. Or clothes," she added with a glance at her attire.

Neji nodded. "You are welcome to leave the ship at the next port if that is your wish. Although, our next port will be Kirigakure, and I have to warn you that it is not the safest place for a young woman by herself."

Tenten had heard of Kirigakure, and nothing she heard had been pleasant. If she were to set up in a new town, she didn't want to start a new life in a town rampant with violence and theft. "Maybe I should wait for a friendlier town," she murmured.

"You are welcome to stay onboard until we make port at a more suitable village."

"Would I be welcome to…" she let her words peter out, knowing she would be insane to voice them. But if she was going to be staying onboard for the foreseeable future as it was, maybe the captain wouldn't mind. Taking a deep breath, Tenten asked, "Would I be welcome to stay and work onboard? I think I would enjoy some time at sea after my sheltered life at home."

Neji's eyebrows had raised almost to his hairline as she spoke, but he managed to school his features back into a blank line. "I do not hire women."

Her heart dropped and she looked down at her lap. "Of course, forgive me for asking. I know about the superstition about women on ships."

She felt him push off against the door and walk towards her, but she didn't look up. "I do not care for superstitions, Tenten." Her name on his lips made her heart race and she glanced up at him, who was now directly in front of her on the other side of the desk. "I will not hire you, but you are welcome to stay onboard." His lips tipped up, just slightly. "If you wish for adventure, you will see plenty of it aboard my ship."

"I can stay?" Tenten couldn't quite believe her ears. "Can I help with the chores? Learn how to use a sword?" Her father had refused to let her learn, though she had wanted to since she was a little girl. She had held a sword, only once, and Tenten had known in her gut that she would have an affinity for the weapon if only she was given the opportunity to learn how to wield it.

"You wish to work with my men and learn to fight?" He looked at her, incredulous.

She nodded enthusiastically. "Yes please. Even if you don't hire me, I will work. I'm not going to sit around doing nothing while others work. I've spent my whole life bored in a house that was much too large for me, so this will be a pleasant change of pace."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Do you forget that we are pirates?"

Of course, Tenten had loathed him and his crew when she first came aboard—not just them, but all pirates. And she had no doubt that there were pirates out there that were truly horrible, but Neji and his men had shown they were decent people. They killed when necessary, but not excessively, and the few she had met had been kind to her. If the captain was a good person at heart, she had no doubt he chose similar men to work with him.

She smiled. "Yes, but I also believe you are good people. I would very much like to stay onboard for as long as you will have me."

"Very well. He nodded his acceptance, a smile playing on his lips. "Welcome to the Crimson Night, Tenten," he said, his eyes twinkling with mirth. "I hope you enjoy your stay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for the late submission. I ran out of mojo for a few days, and didn't end up writing the other prompts I had wanted to.  
> I really hope you enjoy the ending of this little AU. I know, technically nothing romantic happened with them, but really, this is just the start of their journey together (and it sets it up for me if I ever decide to expand on this world). I am not 100% happy with this last part, but I can't waste anymore days, so I decided to present it like this.  
> Thank you for reading! I'll probably post a couple of prompts sometime tomorrow to get back on track, since it's almost the 18th and I'm still stuck on Day 16. I'll get there eventually!


	12. Day 16 - Quarantine

"Are you ready?" Tenten asked, weapon ready to go at Neji's direction.

A sigh was her only answer, and she watched as he fiddled with the phone in his hand. Finally, he looked at her with resignation. "Do you really need to do this, Tenten?"

She fought the urge to roll her eyes at her boyfriend. "It's fine. I've put targets up. Now, are you ready yet?"

"We are inside."

"It's _fine_. When do I ever miss my target?"

Tenten knew why Neji was apprehensive. They were in an enclosed area, and even though Tenten was the Weapons Mistress, it was still a dangerous endeavour to be messing around with so many sharp objects in such a tight space—or any kind of weapon, for that matter. Especially after what happened last time…

Still, she wouldn't be deterred. Her followers were waiting for her newest video, and not even an epidemic would stop her from disappointing them.

After more shuffling—her boyfriend wasn't the greatest with technology and she had had to show him how to work the app—he nodded. "Ready."

Tenten forewent introductions, knowing she didn't have time for them. Sixty seconds wasn't a lot, but it was enough time to demonstrate what she needed to. "Today I'll be showing you the proper stance when throwing kunai," she said, looking at the phone as she spoke.

She presented a variety of videos to her audience, ranging from the array of her different weapons and what they were used for, as well as stances when using them. Neji indulged her, being the cameraman for most of her videos, despite not knowing why Tenten bothered with it.

She went through the motions before landing the kunai in the bullseye of the target. She thanked them for joining her and reminded them to be safe, before Neji signed her off.

"How many more of these do you plan on doing?" he asked. Tenten could tell he was holding back another sigh, not wanting to upset her in any way.

"I haven't even begun to show my followers my whole arsenal. I've still got my crossbow and larger weapons to show them, as well as all my scroll techniques."

Neji's eyebrows rose at her words, and she knew exactly what he was thinking. "I do not think showing them those techniques indoors is such a good idea."

"It'll be fine, Neji," she replied, walking over to stand in front of him. "You worry too much."

"What will our landlord say if we make another hole in the side of the house?"

It was sweet of him to say 'we', when they both knew it had been all Tenten's doing. She had been teaching her followers how to use paper bombs correctly when one had gone off accidentally.

"I'll be careful, I promise." She leaned up on her tiptoes to give him a chaste kiss. "Besides," she added, leaning back with a grin and a wink, "I promise to make it up to you if I blow up the house again."

A slow smirk appeared on Neji's face and Tenten knew he wouldn't be able to tell her no. His arms wound around her waist and he pulled her close. "I will hold you to that."

"I was hoping you'd say that," she murmured against his lips, grin still in place. She kissed him again, already planning on how she would 'make it up to him', because they both knew the house wouldn't be intact for long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading guys! I hope you are all well.


	13. Day 19 - Querencia

Neji never enjoyed his clan's family meetings. His uncle continued to use the side branch, thinking of them as lesser beings than those born into the main branch. Neji had long ago stopped caring what his uncle thought, but he was unable to refuse his commands to join the meetings; Hiashi had ways of making him comply, which never failed to frustrate Neji.

Walking through the front door of his small apartment he rented with Tenten, Neji was pleased to see her sitting on the couch, cleaning her weapons. Considering she had no upcoming missions, Neji could only guess she was getting ready to shoot anther one of her videos, which he would no doubt have to film.

Tenten glanced up upon hearing the door open, and a huge smile made her face light up. It quickly faded, though, when she noticed how tired he looked.

"That bad?" she asked, putting her kunai aside and walking over to him. She slipped her arms around his waist and leaned into him, her head tilting up to look into his eyes.

Neji instantly found his anger and irritation melt away at her touch. She never failed to calm him, especially after his visits with his uncle.

"Hiashi has opinions that differ greatly from Lady Tsunade's about how the village should be handling the current pandemic," he told his girlfriend, his voice drained. "He wants the Hyuga clan to band together so that Lady Tsunade is forced to listen to us. I do not believe he cares about the larger populace, though; he just wants people to do things his way."

Neji didn't tell her about the other point of conversation that Hiashi had spent a great deal discussing—Neji's relationship with Tenten. When they first started dating, Hiashi had let it slide, thinking Neji was just going through a phase—getting rid of the excess hormones running through his body—but as the years melted into one another, his uncle was beginning to realize that Neji was serious. Hiashi had blindsided Neji at the family meeting, confronting him in front of everyone, and demanded Neji to break up with his girlfriend. Despite being a member of the side branch, Neji was important, and Hiashi expected him to marry someone worthy of the Hyuga title. Neji was livid; how dare his uncle tell him what to do and disrespect Tenten like that! He had gotten into an argument with the older Hyuga, outright refusing to do as he asked, and cautioning him to never interfere with his relationship with Tenten. Hinata had tried to calm both sides, but as timid as she was, she could hardly be heard over the two angry males.

Now, back at home with his lover in his arms, Neji felt like he could breathe again. Tenten was the only person he felt completely comfortable around. The only person he could be his true self with, without having to hide behind a mask. Even with his closest friends and comrades, Neji still kept part of himself hidden, but not from Tenten. She saw and knew parts of him that he had never shown to anyone else.

"I'm sure your uncle wants the best for everyone in the village," Tenten said. "This pandemic is new to everyone; we need all the help we can get to figure out how to handle it."

Neji doubted it, but he also didn't want to disparage her words. He knew she wasn't a fan of his uncle, but she still liked to defend him, to give him the benefit of the doubt. Neji thought it was kind of her, and it was just one of the many things he loved about her.

He sighed, his breath tickling the hairs around her face, but gave her a smile. He didn't want to talk—or think—about his uncle anymore, not when he hadn't seen Tenten all day. He nodded his head in the direction of her weapons lying on the coffee table, raising an eyebrow at her. "What are you planning this time?"

She grinned, always happy to talk about her weapons. "I was planning to show my followers the correct way to look after their weapons in order to keep them in pristine condition. But first," she wiggled out of his embrace and started walking towards the kitchen. "I made your favourite for dinner."

Neji's heart swelled with love at her thoughtfulness. He sometimes couldn't believe that he had gotten so lucky to have her in his life—not just as comrades, but as lovers, as confidants, as family.

He followed her into the kitchen and stood at her back while she got his bowl ready. He wrapped his arms around her front and rested his chin on her shoulder, tilting his head to look at her profile. "I love you," he whispered, kissing her on the cheek.

She turned her head, a smile on her lips, and kissed him, her lips lingering on his before she pulled away. "I love you too. Now, let go and take your bowl. I need your camera skills after dinner."

Neji chuckled, knowing this dinner was more than a kind gesture after having to deal with his uncle; it was her way of buttering him up since she knew he didn't particularly like his role in her videos. He wasn't the greatest with all the new technology constantly bombarding them, but he had learned the basics, for her. He let her go and took his bowl from her before sitting down at the dining table to eat.

He watched as she got her own bowl ready, his mind flashing back to his argument with his uncle. For as long as he could remember, Neji had wanted to change the ways of the Hyuga clan. And he would start by changing their view of who one should marry—because he knew that when the time was right, there was nothing that would be able to stop him from marrying Tenten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Querencia: a place from which one's strength is drawn, where you feel most at home; where you can be your most authentic self
> 
> This week's prompts run into each other, as did the first week of prompts. Actually, the first week, this week, and next week are all connected, since I like to write about their story and what is going on in different points of their lives.
> 
> I skipped a couple of days (one of which was going to be a little bit... ahem... more adult) since I've been running behind, but I'm now back on track (at least for the next few days). I hope you enjoy today's prompt. Thank you for reading!


	14. Day 21 - Domestic Life

The day had been exhausting and long, Team Gai having returned home from their mission after dark, and, although Tenten was happy to be out of the house for once, she was also grateful to finally be home again. She stretched languorously, a loud yawn escaping her lips, enjoying the heat of the water that surrounded her. A pair of arms wrapped around her midriff from behind and Tenten snuggled closer, the bath water sloshing precariously close to the edge of the tub.

“I’ve been waiting for this all day,” she said, voice soft and relaxed.

Neji hummed in agreement and tightened his grip slightly. “It is good that Gai sensei has given us tomorrow off.”

“We definitely need it, after that last mission,” Tenten agreed. She tilted her head back to look at him. “What would you like to do on our day off?”

“Nothing.”

Tenten eyes widened slightly at his answer, having expected him to still want to get some training in, at least. She turned in his arms to face him, a smile on her lips. “Nothing? You’re getting soft, Neji.” she teased.

“I can assure, I am anything but soft,” he answered amusedly, moving slightly so she could feel the truth of his words.

Even though she was currently naked in a bath with him—and having been in an intimate relationship with him for the past two years—Tenten blushed at both his words and the evidence of them. 

Neji chuckled at her reaction and kissed her forehead. “I thought we could spend the day together, at home,” he told her.

Despite the quarantine forcing everybody indoors, Neji and Tenten didn’t often get the chance to spend whole days together, at home doing nothing. They both had a rigorous training schedule they liked to keep to, and they both had missions to go on, either with Gai and Lee, or as part of a different team. So, Tenten was glad they would have this day together, just the two of them.

“That sounds perfect.” She tilted her head to kiss his jaw before settling back into his arms, already looking forward to tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're still enjoying the prompts. They are smaller now, since I kind of burnt myself out with the Pirate AU, but it was worth it. I am very tempted to keep it up (and maybe even start it again from the beginning so I can add scenes to it, make it a bit longer...)
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	15. Day 22 - Date Night

Neji had been looking forward to this date night for some time now. Because of the village being in quarantine, they hadn't been allowed out except for missions, and he knew Tenten was starting to get stir-crazy. This would be their first night out on the town since restrictions had eased, and he knew Tenten would appreciate it.

He was in the bedroom, figuring out what he would wear for the evening, when Tenten walked in, her face downcast.

"What happened?" he asked, his stomach dropping at the look on her face.

"Tsunade just made an announcement on the news," she said, her voice sounding defeated. "There have been three new cases today from a team coming home from a mission. She is encouraging everyone to stay at home again, at least for the time being, until they know the team hasn't infected anyone else."

The disappointment was clear on her face, and Neji felt frustrated that this was happening again. But there was nothing either of them could do, and he was determined to enjoy his date night with Tenten, even if they couldn't go out as planned.

Neji walked over to his girlfriend and wrapped her in a hug. Tenten deflated against him, her head resting against his chest. "Sorry Neji," she mumbled. "I know you had this night planned for a while now."

"You do not need to apologise, Tenten," he replied. He trailed light fingers against her back, knowing that helped to soothe her. "We will do something here. It is still early; I will make dinner and we can watch a movie together."

Tenten leaned her head back, a happy smile lifting her face. "Can we watch 'The Anbu's Secret?'" she asked, excitement in her voice.

Neji made sure not to express his resignation at her choice in movie. He enjoyed action movies to a degree, but Tenten was crazy for them, and she had heard this particular movie had explosions galore. But he wasn't about to say no and see disappointment shimmer in her eyes again, so of course they would be watching that movie.

Her happiness was contagious, and he smiled back at her, unable to resist stealing a kiss. "Get it ready. I will make dinner."

"Thank you, Neji! I love you." She grinned and leaned up to peck his lips, before rushing out of the bedroom.

Neji couldn't help but smile softly as he watched her go. He pulled open the drawer next to his bed and eyed the ring within for a few moments, then closed the drawer again with a sigh. He had been expecting tonight to be the night, but he would have to wait until another day. He wanted everything to be perfect when he finally asked Tenten to be his wife, and he would accept nothing less.

That day couldn't come soon enough for Neji. He longed to see his ring on her hand, to have her share his name, for her to be his in every sense of the word. He couldn't wait to start that new chapter of their lives together, and he could only hope that it came soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love fluff WAY too much. Can you tell? I try to write angst sometimes, since it's good to know how to write more than one genre, and I have recently started writing smut fiction, but my true passion is fluff. Neji and Tenten deserve the world, and I thoroughly love giving them that through my fictions. 
> 
> In saying that, what do you, my readers, like reading most? Please let me know in the comments. I've been thinking of starting a storyboard with smut prompts, but I'm not sure how many would be into that.


	16. Day 24 - Stargazing

The sky was full of hundreds of thousands—millions—of stars, shining bright and beautiful in the sky. The night was quiet, with barely the sound of cicadas playing their melodic music, as Tenten lay by Neji's side in the middle of the lush green of the training field.

They were silent as they watched the night sky, their hands clasped together between them on the soft grass. Neji's thumb played a pattern on Tenten's hand, a soft caress which never failed to make her heart flutter.

Tenten felt Neji shift onto his side to face her. His fingers trailed down her cheek and she turned her face to see him propped up on his elbow, a soft smile on his lips.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, his hand leaving her face to rest against the growing swell of her stomach.

"Tired," she admitted truthfully. She was still in the early stages of her pregnancy, and she could feel the heaviness of her body, a fatigue that weighed on her like never before. "But Lady Tsunade says that's to be expected in the First Trimester."

A frown pulled at her husband's lips and his hand once again reached for her face, this time tracing the tired lines under her eyes. "Even so, I do not like seeing you like this."

Of course, he didn't. Neji loathed seeing her fatigued all the time, and he always made sure she was comfortable and cared for at home when he wasn't called away for missions.

She turned to her side, so they were facing each other, her smile warm and full of love as she gazed into his eyes. "It won't be long before I'm back to normal. Don't worry, my love."

"I will worry until I see it for myself." He leaned close and kissed her, slow and deep. She melted into him, her hand brushing through his hair with a contented sigh.

Everything about this moment in time was perfect. Despite her constant fatigue, Tenten wouldn't change it for the world. It was a sign that she was bringing new life into the world. She loved their unborn child more and more with each passing day and she couldn't wait for the day where she would finally meet them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This week is part of the "future" theme, so all the prompts will be of our lovely couple in the future. Thank you for your continuous reading, and I hope you enjoy!


	17. Day 25 - The Future

The small bundle in Neji's arms stared up at him with eyes just as pale as his own. His heart swelled with love for his young daughter, still barely able to hold her own head up. She was tiny, fragile, and oh so perfect. The moment she was born, Neji had felt his world shift. He had a precious child now, a little girl to love and protect, and he would do so until his dying breath.

He heard Tenten approach, her hand touching his arm as she came to stand next to him and stare at their daughter. He was glad to see her up and about again. The labour had been difficult—much more difficult than it should have been—and Tenten was exhausted and weak for a long time afterwards. But she was finding her strength again and she refused to rest when he ordered her to, arguing that she had already rested enough to last a whole year.

"She's so beautiful," Tenten murmured at his side. "I will never get over just how perfect she is."

Neji slid his gaze away from his daughter to look at his wife, love shining in his eyes. "She takes after her mother."

Tenten grinned at him, pleased at his words. "And she's strong, just like her father."

He didn't agree with her on that point. Keiko was strong, of that there was no doubt. But Neji knew her strength came from her mother, not him. During the childbirth, there had been fears that either the mother or baby could be lost, but they had both pulled through, and he was blessed with a beautiful, healthy baby girl.

"I can't wait to watch her grow up," Tenten continued. "I know her future will be bright and full of love. Do you think she will excel in weaponry or the byakugan?"

Neji watched his daughter, whose eyes were starting to grow heavy. She seemed to want to look at him, and she fought against the impending sleep. Neji smiled as she struggled to stay awake, until she couldn't fight it anymore.

He didn't know what skill she would be better at—she may even excel at both, for all he knew—but he knew one thing for certain. "Whatever it is, she will be the best at it."

"Oh? Will she surpass even you, the great Neji Hyuga?"

He knew Tenten was teasing, but he replied with complete seriousness, "She is my daughter and part of the next generation. I have no doubt that she will exceed my skills, and I look forward to helping her."

Neji did not doubt that for a second. The war may be over, and peace may be reigning in the world, but Neji knew that she would one day surpass him in skill. A part of him longed for it, to know that the Hyuga line would remain strong, even after the Main and Side branches were finally abolished.

His daughter—as well as any other children he and Tenten may have together in the future—were the next generation of ninja, and he knew their future would be great.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone who is a huge Nejiten fan should know who Keiko belongs to. I can never resist using her (as well as her younger brother, Ryuu) as their children. In my eyes (aka in my fantasies) they are Neji and Tenten's canon children, and I love them dearly.
> 
> Another short one, I'm afraid. The rest of the prompts will be a similar length, but still hopefully just as good. Thank you for reading and as always, I love to hear your comments and thoughts. :3


	18. Day 27 - Chaos and Calm

Neji tried to tune out the loud noises around him—sounds that were mainly coming from his very drunk wife. She was saying goodbye to her friends as though she would not see them for another year, and he was surprised she had not yet started crying.

Thankfully—or not, he wasn't quite sure—most of them were almost as drunk as she. Neji didn't know why, but the women liked to drink a lot when they got together, and the only female left completely sober was his cousin, Hinata.

He watched as Tenten clung to Ino and Sakura, making them promise to visit her soon, and to bring their kids for a playdate. Neji was glad it wasn't overly late, since the three of them were being loud enough to wake the dead.

Finally, Neji had had enough and he stepped forward to pull his wife away from her friends. A quick look at Sasuke made him think the raven-haired man wanted to do something similar, but he stayed back, out of the way. No doubt he was worried about how Sakura would react—she was known to get violent when drunk, and Neji had no doubt that Sasuke had faced that violence at least once in their married life.

As soon as they were on their way home, Tenten started chattering away, her words slurred and almost unintelligible. It amused Neji, to see his wife in this state since she didn't often let herself get drunk. But he knew the women liked to let off steam when they were together, and he didn't mind her doing so. Besides, he found this side of her incredibly adorable.

"Do you think Keiko will be in bed by the time we get home?" she asked, clinging to his arm as she tried her hardest to walk in a straight line.

Neji had to stop himself from chuckling as she stumbled over her own feet, only avoiding a face to the pavement because he held her up. "I hope so, though I would not be surprised to see Gai still playing with her." Their daughter, who had just recently turned two, adored her uncle Gai, and Neji knew she liked to fight her bedtime whenever he was looking after her.

He was grateful that Gai—as well as the other Team Leaders—were available to babysit for their teams so they could get together and catch up. With most of them married, and many of them with important jobs, they were often too busy these days, but they did their best to meet at least one evening a month.

"She better be asleep, or I'll kick Gai sensei's ass." Neji knew Tenten was trying to sound mad, but she was failing miserably, the words coming out slurred. She looked up at him and fluttered her eyelashes, in what he could only assume was an attempt at seduction. "I want to spend some alone time with you when we get home." Her wink was more of a slow blink, and Neji had to bite his lip to keep from laughing.

She did this every time, and every time it ended up the same. They would get home, thank Gai for looking after their daughter and then she would pass out on the bed, out to the world until mid-morning the next day. He didn't have any expectations for anything amorous happening tonight.

They continued to walk home, Tenten talking in a tone louder than was necessary, and Neji helping to right her each time she stumbled. She truly could be chaotic at times, but that suited him just fine. He was the calm to her chaos, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've only got two left to go after this one, so I hope you look forward to them. Thank you for reading, and don't forget to leave a review. They motivate me to make more content of our favourite couple for ya'll.


	19. Day 30 - Dreams

An old, grey haired Tenten was sitting on a bench in the middle of the village, her husband by her side while their grandchildren ran around the park gleefully. She turned to Neji, who's hair had long since gone grey as well, and smiled, the wrinkles around her eyes and mouth standing out as she did so.

Neji smiled back at her, his pale eyes gazing at her with as much love as ever before. "We have lived a good life, have we not, my dear?" he asked, gaze flicking back to his grandchildren for a moment.

"Yes, we have." Tenten agreed. She would not have changed a thing in their lives, even the parts that did not bring happy memories. It was all part of their journey, and everything they had gone through—both separately and apart—had made them who they were today. "Thank you for being my life, Neji."

He opened his mouth to respond, but she couldn't hear his words. She frowned and strained forward in her seat, but his voice seemed far away, even though he was sitting right next to her. Tenten's eyes popped open to see her husband—looking much younger than a moment before—staring down at her with an amused look on his beautiful face.

"I am sorry to wake you, Tenten. You were sleeping so soundly, with a smile on your face. I was curious as to what you were dreaming about."

Tenten sat up and leaned against him, her heart warmed by her dream. She didn't know if it had just been her imagination, or if it was a snippet of their future, but either way, she was happy to see them having grown old together and still so much in love.

"I was dreaming of us," she told her husband. "Old and grey with grandchildren in our lives."

He obviously wasn't expecting that, and Tenten saw his eyes swell with tears before for a moment before he managed to get his emotions under control. "I wish I could have shared that dream with you," he admitted.

She grabbed his hand and pressed a kiss to his knuckles. "Don't worry, darling. It may take some time, but we'll share that dream together, as a reality. I know it."

Their children were still little yet, but Tenten had no doubt this dream of hers would come true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short but sweet. Day 30 & 31 are part of the "A Life Together" concept.
> 
> One last prompt coming up tomorrow and then Nejiten Month will be officially over. T_T


	20. Day 31 - Bonds

Neji paced the floor of the hospital, his heart in his throat while his eyes darted continuously to the door his wife lay behind. He had been banished from the room, much to his frustration, but he couldn't fault the nurses for doing so. He had been making a fuss, his usual calm demeanour disappearing as he stressed about the health of his wife. After last time, he wanted to make sure things went smoothly, and he had been a little too vocal about his concerns.

After what felt like a lifetime, a nurse emerged from the room and motioned for him to enter. His pulse kicked up a notch as he followed her inside, his eyes immediately landing on his wife. Sweat drenched hair was plastered to her face and she was pale and exhausted, but she still looked incredibly beautiful. How could she not be, when she had just brought a new life into the world?

He was by her side in an instant, looking down at the small, wrapped bundle cradled in her arms. She grinned up at him, though it was tired, and said, "Neji, meet your son."

His son. Neji's heart stopped at the knowledge that his wife had blessed him with a son. He wished their daughter could be here with them, but Gai had volunteered to look after her, so she would have to wait to meet her little brother. Neji knew she would love him as soon as they met, and he looked forward to seeing his daughter's face light up with joy at finally having a sibling.

Neji leaned forward and placed a kiss to his wife's sweaty forehead. "You did well, my love. He is perfect." As tiny as he was now, Neji knew his son would be a force to be reckoned with as he grew older.

Never in his life had Neji thought he could be so happy, but each day with Tenten proved him wrong. He was married to the love of his life, and they now had two incredible children together. Their bond, both as a couple and a family, grew with each passing day, and Neji knew they would continue to do so in the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it, folks. Sorry it was short (and not one of my best), but I still hope you enjoyed it! The baby isn't named in this short fic, but it is, of course, Ryuu - Keiko's little brother, who were made by ghostbananas and Papabay. (I know there are other Nejiten OC children out there, but these are my favourites and the only ones I will write about).
> 
> Thank you all SO MUCH for being part of this month with me. As you all no doubt know by now, through these prompts and my other fics, Neji and Tenten are my favourite couple. Like, ever. I can never get enough of them, and I adore writing them in a family/couple setting and sharing those stories with you, so that you can get a glimpse into what life is like for them, happy and together.


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